Carlisle's Choice II
by emmettroselover
Summary: Sequel to Zach's Choice II. The summit has caused plenty of tension between Carlisle and the rest of his family, but decisions still need to be made by all those involved. What will they choose and how will it affect Zach's mate? Carlisle/Esme, Rosalie/Emmett, Edward/Bella, Jasper/Alice, Renesmee/Nahuel, Jacob/Leah, Seth, Denali Coven and more!
1. Chapter 1

AN: Since the last one ended with more questions than answers, I decided to follow up a bit sooner than I usually do. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

The rain pelted Merek as he scanned the back alley to make sure no humans were around. It was a cold, dreary night in Anchorage, Alaska and the streets were void of activity. He knew the warehouse district would be empty, but checked one last time before darting to the backdoor of a large industrial building. It opened before he had a chance to knock and Merek bowed his head in greeting at the old vampire that answered. They cordially shook his hands as the vampire opened the door wider to let Merek inside.

"You picked a good time. Business is slow this time of year. Spring and summer are the city's biggest seasons for tourism. It makes it harder to handle delicate shipments without prying eyes. It has been a long time, Merek. I figured you already ended your existence after last time."

"Orwick, you should know me better than that. I am a knight at heart, no matter how much time passes. I always complete my missions."

"Yes, well, after the Volturi got involved I assumed the mission was over. I am a bit wary of giving you these supplies, especially if they will be used in the ways as before," admitted Orwick as he handed Merek a slender titanium box. Merek opened the box and smiled when he saw the contents. He placed it inside his jacket pocket.

"Fear not, my methods have changed."

"So you are not experimenting on humans anymore," questioned Orwick.

"No, I am not that man anymore. That was a long time ago."

"Time passes quickly for our kind, but change does not come easy. I am happy to help you, but I must caution you as well. The Volturi will not stand for it again. You managed to intrigue Aro, but Marcus and Didyme care about right and wrong far more than he ever did. Be careful, Merek."

"I will be. Trust me on that," vowed Merek as they shook hands. Orwick watched him dart from the back alley before locking up the warehouse. Merek sped through Anchorage amongst the shadows of the night, but slowed when he sensed vampires drawing near. He raced into a dark alley and turned to face the vampires racing toward him. He frowned in confusion when Alexander and Lena removed the hoods of their cloaks to reveal themselves to him. He bowed his head in acknowledgement of the guards.

"I mean no disrespect, but what are you doing here? I have broken no laws," said Merek and Lena smiled slyly at him.

"We aren't here on official business," she informed. Before he could question her, Carlisle leapt from the roof above them and pinned him to the wall. Merek gulped and glanced over at the guards.

"Do Marcus and Didyme know about this?"

"Don't worry about them. You need to worry about me," warned Carlisle and Merek winced.

"I see that. What do you want? Your grandson has not been in contact with me."

"That hasn't stopped you though has it? You were always persistent. What did Orwick give you," interrogated Carlisle.

"You are tracking me?"

"I know what you are up to, so hand it over. What did Orwick give you?"

"You have no right to….." Before Merek could finish, Carlisle threw him to the ground and pounced. Merek kicked him square in the chest in midair before Carlisle could land, sending him backward with a jolt. Merek flipped to his feet and Lena was about to step in, but Alexander held her back.

"Let them get out their frustration," suggested Alexander and she gave a curt nod as she watched the two men carefully. Carlisle flipped to his feet and dodged Merek's punch. He grabbed him by the arm and hurled him to the ground before pinning him to it.

"What did Orwick give you," shouted Carlisle and Merek hissed as Carlisle pressed his knee into one of Merek's hands. Crackling could be heard as the pressure created fissures in the appendage.

"Alright! Let me up and I will show you," bargained Merek. Carlisle stepped away from him and Merek surveyed his hand as he made it to his feet.

"Your skills in hand to hand combat are quite impressive. Jasper has taught you well."

"Show me," ordered Carlisle and Merek pulled the titanium box from his pocket.

"Fine, but only because you asked so nicely," grumbled Merek as he opened it. Carlisle's eyes widened when he saw the contents.

"Good God, Merek, what have you done now?"

"It isn't what you think, Carlisle. I have done nothing wrong!" Carlisle grabbed him by his jacket and pinned him to the wall again as he shook his head in disappointment.

"Humans were not enough. Now you are dissecting vampires? How many did you kill to get these teeth?"

"None, Orwick has connections all over the world. Vampires are dismembered all the time. He knows some scavengers and they grabbed some teeth before they could be burned with the rest of the pieces. I have not killed anyone. I am not that person anymore and who are you to attack me like this? You have no right!"

"I gained the right the moment you used the Volturi to observe my grandson. I gained the right when you became a threat to my family. You have obviously discarded your code of honor and broken your oath as a knight, but I will always protect my family."

"The code of a knight is to persevere to the end in any enterprise begun!"

"It is also to protect the weak and defenseless, to live in honor and glory! You not only broke that code, but you took away my right to honor it as well. You put blood on my hands and I will stop you this time before it can happen again." Merek laughed bitterly.

"So that is what this is about? Your honor, oh Carlisle, you always were dramatic. I will live with my mistakes, but I will not let you bear guilt and shame as a way to dishonor me even more. The blood is on my hands, not yours. Save your righteousness for someone else. I have not broken a law. You cannot take my supplies. If these guards allow you to, they are breaking their code as members of the Volturi and their dishonor will be of your doing, unlike mine. So what will it be?" Carlisle gritted his teeth, but gave the box back. He released Merek and the man placed the box back into his pocket before bowing to Alexander and Lena.

"Am I free to go? I have research to do," asked Merek. Alexander gave a curt nod.

"Yes, but you already manipulated past laws to summon the Cullens. We now have eyes on you," warned Alexander.

"So do I," added Carlisle and Merek chuckled.

"Come off it, Carlisle. You aren't worried that I am going to come after your family. You are worried that your family will come to me. Your grandson has a mate. The clock is ticking for her mortality and we both know that I can offer them a chance at eternity together."

"All I know is that you have one goal and you don't care who your agenda hurts. Tread lightly, Merek. Never mess with a man's family," threatened Carlisle and Merek scoffed.

"I am trying to help your family."

"And if it gets you what you want in the process, then all the better, right?"

"What is so wrong with that? I have lost plenty. If I can complete my task and be at peace while helping the most powerful vampire in our existence gain his mate, what is wrong with that? Face it, Carlisle. You are not mad because I am doing research again. You are mad because I may be right and the great Carlisle Cullen may be wrong. I see the look in your eyes. The scientist in you is intrigued and a bit miffed that my research has progressed more than yours."

"The scientist in me understands that you crossed lines to get it and the grandfather in me will not allow you to add my grandson to the list."

"Then it is a good thing Zachary has not called me. Unless of course you think that will change," challenged Merek as he turned to leave. Carlisle glared at the man as he sped away into the darkness. Lena smiled sympathetically at him.

"He is right. There is nothing we can do to stop him. Marcus and Didyme are more than happy to keep an eye on him for you, but he is not breaking our rules by seeking out Zach," informed Lena.

"Marcus and Didyme allowed us to come here as a favor after all the trouble the summit caused, but we cannot kill him without reason," added Alexander.

"I don't want Merek dead. If I did, I would have done it lifetimes ago. I just want him to stay away from my family."

"He isn't in Forks and you said it yourself. He has not been in contact with Zach since you left Italy," said Lena.

"Yes, but he chose Alaska for a reason. Out of every place in the world, he moved to Alaska to be closer to us. Not too close, not too far, it is how he works," explained Carlisle.

"But if Zach chooses to speak with him, isn't that a right he has? Plus, collecting vampire teeth is not exactly punishable by death. What is he going to use them for," asked Alexander.

"How do you cut into a vampire," asked Carlisle and Lena's eyes widened.

"If he uses them to harm someone else, we can stop him, but we must be sure that is his intent," said Lena.

"This one is on me. He is my problem, not yours. Thank you for coming with me, but I will handle it from here," said Carlisle.

"It was our pleasure. Keep us informed. We all know how dangerous a scientist can be in our world when he goes mad. Come on, let's get you home," suggested Alexander as the stealth jet appeared above them. Carlisle begrudgingly nodded. He wanted to follow Merek, but knew Alexander and Lena were right. There was not much he could do unless Merek crossed a line.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Zach stared out the floor-to-ceiling window in his bedroom as rain trickled down. Allie snuggled closer to him in her sleep and sighed contently when he kissed her forehead. He pulled the heating blanket closer to her, making sure his mate was warm while she rested in his arms. The glow of the clock caught the corner of his eye as it changed to midnight and he whispered into her ear.

"Happy birthday, nayeli, I love you." A small smile crept onto her lips as he kissed her cheek, but she remained asleep. He could hear footsteps outside his door and smiled when his Aunt Alice poked her head into the room.

"Let's go for a hunt. I know you want to before she wakes up. She will be asleep for the rest of the night," whispered Alice and he silently nodded. He tucked the blankets around Allie and checked on her one last time before following his Aunt Alice outside. The rain drizzled to a halt and the clouds rolled out of the region. The moon hung high as they strolled through the forest, neither one in too much of a hurry to find an animal.

"Do you think Allie is going to like my gift? I really want it to be special for her," inquired Zach and Alice winked at him.

"How many times do I have to tell you? She is going to love it. She isn't as excited as you are about her birthday though, so try not to mention her age too often."

"I don't understand what the big deal is. Who cares if she is twenty one? We are amazing together and even her parents have warmed up to the idea of us being together."

"It isn't the age as much as the perception. Once she is a vampire, none of that will matter. If it did, most of the mates in this family would not exist. So care to tell me why you have not called Merek? I left you plenty of ways to get in touch with him." Zach smirked as they effortlessly balanced on a fallen log to cross the river.

"Were the notes in my lunchbox necessary? J had a good laugh at finding them every day, but it is a bit much. I know his number and I will call him when I am ready." Alice planted her tiny fists on her hips and gave him a stern look.

"Why aren't you ready? I think I have been more than patient after a month of waiting, but I am ready for this to happen."

"Oh well, as long as you are ready, I guess that settles it then," he muttered.

"I detect a hint of sarcasm in your tone, but I am not amused. I have seen your future with her. Asa gave me the most beautiful vision of your wedding, so how about you stop torturing me and make your next move?"

"You know I love Allie and I want eternal life with her, but it isn't as simple as just making a phone call." Alice cupped his cheek and smiled sympathetically.

"You are more like your mother in that regard. Your father would have already called Merek and had his mate changed. Your mother on the other hand would be concerned like you are. You get that from her, your need to seek approval from your grandfather."

"Mom doesn't need grandpa's approval. She always does what is best in her mind."

"True, but she always keeps him in mind. It doesn't mean she will not do it if she has to, but she takes no pleasure from going against his wishes. I know you are worried about what he thinks and his past with Merek, but this choice has to be yours, Zach."

"I already made it. I just wish he could support that choice," grumbled Zach and she kissed his cheek.

"I know you have made it, so how about you give Merek a call."

"I am still not in a rush for that conversation. Why won't you tell me what Merek did to make grandpa so mad?"

"Because it is not my story to tell, we have been over this. You will find out. I promise you will, but this decision has to be yours and based on what you want for your mate. It will be your venom he is experimenting with."

"I will keep that in mind. Now, can we focus on Allie's birthday? She might not want it to be special, but I do. What time is Sam going to pick her up for breakfast?"

"You and Josh will already be at school. It is part of their tradition, breakfast at the diner in town, just the two of them. He is really excited about it. Speaking of parents, yours are coming," she informed and he grinned from ear to ear when his mother gracefully leapt out of a tree to greet him. He chuckled as she kissed his forehead.

"We decided to come back and get you. The forest is overrun with bobcats right now. We figured you might want to hunt some with us," explained Rosalie.

"Sounds like fun," agreed Zach.

"That's my boy, always up for a good hunt," cheered Emmett.

"Aunt Alice, are you coming," asked Zach.

"You three go have fun. I will stay close to the house. Allie will be up by seven," she informed and he hugged her in thanks before running off with his parents. Alice darted to the clearing where she knew Carlisle would be dropped off and waited patiently as the stealth jet arrived. Carlisle said his goodbyes to Alexander and Lena before leaping out of the jet so it would not have to land. As it disappeared into the night, Alice made her way over to her father.

"Esme is waiting for you inside, so I will make this quick. You didn't have to go to Anchorage. It doesn't change anything."

"It will make Merek think twice about his plans to proceed with this experimentation," he said as he glided through the forest. Alice easily kept pace with him.

"Why are you being so stubborn about this? I have never seen you so upset with someone, which says a lot considering we dealt with the old Volturi for years."

"At least my children were not conspiring against me back then."

"That isn't fair. You know we love you. This isn't about you. It is about Allie and Zach. It has to be their choice."

"They are children. They have no clue who they are dealing with and neither do you for that matter. I know Merek. I know what he is capable of," he argued and she stepped in front of him as they locked eyes.

"So do I, which is why I am not asking you to trust him. I am asking you to trust me, dad. Your lack of faith in me and Edward is what hurts the most," she confessed before marching off toward the house and he shook his head in frustration.

"She is right, you know," called Esme as she approached him. She kissed her husband tenderly and leaned her forehead against his.

"For a man of such faith and compassion, you sure are being stubborn," she informed.

"I don't think I can forgive the things he has done, Esme. The things I contributed to," he whispered as he turned away, but she pulled him back into her arms.

"I don't care. You are a good man, Carlisle. We have amazing children and have been blessed in so many ways. Zach is one of those blessings. Let Allie be one as well."

"She already is. Whether she is turned the traditional way or experimented on is the only question I have. She is already a Cullen and I don't want her to have to suffer for three days, but I also don't want an experiment to cause more harm than good," he explained and she hugged her husband, seeing the conflict evident in his eyes. She wanted to protest, but decided to let it go for now.

After hours of hunting, Zach returned by daybreak to shower and prepare for the day. He darted into his closet and slipped on a pair of jeans before grabbing Allie's birthday present from the top shelf. He beamed with happiness when he heard his mate's heart quicken in pace. As soon as he sat down on the bed beside her, she awakened to the glorious sight of Zach shirtless. She smiled back at him and sat up in bed.

"I hope you don't plan on going to school like that. I would hate to be arrested for beating up several teenage girls on my birthday all because they couldn't help but be enticed by you," she teased.

"I just showered. I went on a hunt." She gazed into his golden brown eyes and sighed dreamily.

"I can tell. Your eyes are so beautiful."

"Not nearly as beautiful as you, nayeli. Happy birthday," he whispered before kissing her tenderly. She passionately kissed him back and giggled when he pulled her onto his lap. She kissed his neck, but he pulled back before he could become lost in a daze of her.

"My family is downstairs. Vampire hearing tends to ruin the mood." She kissed his cheek and winked at him.

"That's okay. We will have time later. It will just be you and me after school right?"

"Yes, I promise that you and I will spend some time together before everyone will want your attention at the party. If it is okay with you, I would like you to have your birthday gift now though," he said as he presented the wrapped gift to her. She gasped when she saw a silver locket encrusted in diamonds. Tears filled her eyes as she gazed at the exquisite piece of jewelry. The inside held a picture of the two of them on one side and an inscription engraved in the silver on the other. The inscription was written in Quileute and made her beam with happiness.

"My love for you is infinite," she read and he nodded as he slipped off the ring she gave him for Christmas.

"Now we match," he informed. She passionately kissed and hugged him.

"You are the best boyfriend in the entire world. I can't believe you got me diamonds. How expensive was this?"

"Your birthstone is a diamond. It is only fitting that I shower you with them on your birthday." He chuckled as she pulled him down onto the bed and kissed him.

"Forget vampire hearing," she whispered against his lips. Their kisses began chastely with gentle caresses, but became more passionate as their surroundings faded into the background. However, one distinct noise did make Zach pull away, the sound of Josh pounding on the door.

"Enough you two, how can I give Al my gift before we leave if you are in there….." Zach jerked the bedroom door open to glare at his best friend and Josh smiled cheekily.

"Morning, whatcha doing in here," teased Josh and Allie rolled her eyes as she fell back onto her pillows.

"Shouldn't you be a little less annoying on my birthday," asked Allie and Josh shrugged as he plopped onto the bed. She threw a pillow at him, causing him to laugh.

"Shouldn't you be pleasant on your birthday," he teased as he tossed her a comic book in a plastic sleeve.

"I didn't have time to wrap it. Do you know how hard it is to find a first edition comic book these days? Oh and of course you had to like one of the rarest ones. I had to buy it from some guy in Australia. It took forever to….." He was surprised when she jumped on him and hugged him tightly. Zach smiled at their interaction.

"Thank you, Josh. I love this. It must have been next to impossible to find," said Allie and Josh winked at her.

"Only the best for my best bro's mate. Besides, Alice was able to track it down for me. What time is the party tonight? Megan wants me to take her to a movie, but I told her if we went, it would have to be right after school." He shrieked as Allie tousled his hair.

"Sounds like you two are getting close. Have you asked her to prom yet," asked Allie as he shielded his hair with a pillow.

"Birthday girl or not, that is not acceptable! Why must you insist on messing up my hair?"

"Because it annoys you, I thought that was obvious," she giggled and he pleaded with Zach with his eyes.

"Can't you control your mate," he asked and Allie smirked.

"If he can't control how many times you interrupt us, why do you think he can control me," she challenged.

"She does have a point, J. You kind of deserve it. We were enjoying some time together," agreed Zach as he sat down on the bed.

"Isn't that what this afternoon is for? I am sure you two will have plenty of time to suck face after school."

"There is never enough time for that," she assured before crawling onto Zach's lap and kissing his neck. Josh rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I am leaving. I am glad you like the gift, Al."

"I love it, Josh. Thank you again," she called as he exited the room. Zach winked at her.

"Don't let him fool you. He was almost as nervous as I was about what to get you. We don't have much experience with buying gifts for people outside of the family. Aunt Alice just tells us what to get everyone, but with you, she made us work for it. She said it would be more special," explained Zach and Allie kissed him again.

"You both did great. I love my locket. Will you put it on me?" He happily nodded and clasped the gift around her neck.

"It is perfect on you," he whispered before kissing her again, but suddenly groaned when someone knocked on the door.

"Are they trying to drive me crazy," he grumbled as he opened the door and Seth stood there with a smug grin.

"I am your big brother, so yes. I am trying to drive you crazy. Happy birthday, Allie! I come bearing gifts," he said as he entered the room with an armful of presents.

"This one with the purple wrapping paper is from me and Kaya. The rest are from the Denalis. They are sorry they will not be at the party tonight, but promise to make it up to you next time," he announced and her jaw dropped at the amount of gifts on the bed.

"Whoa, I don't know if I can accept all of this. The family has already done enough for me."

"Oh really, you don't want to accept them? Not even the leather jacket or customized helmet for your bike," said Seth and Allie immediately perked up.

"Um, well maybe I can just repay them later," she said and he winked at her.

"Thought so, happy birthday, and I will see you at the party later," called Seth before leaving. Alice skipped into the room with a gift as well and kissed Allie on the cheek.

"You should open my gift first. I know you will love it," explained Alice and Allie hugged her.

"Thank you, Alice," she said as she peeled the wrapping paper off. Zach watched with a dimpled grin as her eyes filled with delight. She was stunned into silence when she saw the formal gown in the dress box.

"I know you have been worried about buying a dress for prom, so I figured I would save you the trouble. The design is an Alice Cullen Original and it was tailored to fit you perfectly." Allie happily hugged her again.

"Thank you so much, Alice. You are so good to me!"

"You're welcome, happy birthday," giggled Alice before skipping out of the room. Zach peeked into the box, but Allie quickly closed it.

"Aw, come on, I just want to see it. Go try it on, please," whined Zach and Allie kissed his cheek, but shook her head.

"No way, Cullen. You will see it on prom night, so…." He kissed her passionately before she could finish and she melted into his embrace. Her heart fluttered as their lips meshed together and he managed to pull away when he felt her knees giving out. She stood there in a daze and he grinned at his effect on her.

"I couldn't resist kissing you any longer. You are going to be the most beautiful girl at prom. Unfortunately, we will have to finish this later. I have to go. Have fun with your dad and I will meet you back here after school. I love you. Happy birthday, nayeli," he said with one last kiss.

"I love you too," she said as she plopped down on the bed, her mind still foggy from the previous kiss. Zach jogged downstairs and hugged his mother.

"I told you she would love it," said Rosalie and he chuckled.

"You were right, mom. See you after school," he said as he grabbed his backpack and left with Josh. Emmett wrapped his arms around his wife as they watched the boys drive away in Josh's truck.

"I didn't think it was possible, but our baby boy is happier than I have ever seen him. Allie completes him. Now if only they would make it official," said Emmett.

"By getting married," teased Rosalie and Emmett chuckled.

"You know what I mean. Carlisle may not like it, but Allie deserves a chance to become one of us without the pain if it is possible. What are we going to do about him? He hasn't budged and Zach notices the tension. He hates disappointing his grandfather."

"I thought time would make it better, but it has been a month and he still feels the same. I will talk to him again. Don't worry, Em."

"Good because I love dad, but our son's happiness with his mate will always trump that." She nodded in agreement and glanced upstairs where she could hear Carlisle sifting through a book. He was stubborn, but so was she and she knew they needed to talk soon.

An hour later, Sam pulled into the driveway of the Cullen House to pick up his daughter. He shook his head in amusement when Alice skipped off the porch to greet him, instead of his daughter.

"Let me guess, she is still getting ready," he asked and she nodded.

"She is almost done, but she couldn't resist opening the rest of her gifts first."

"I hope you didn't spoil her too much."

"Of course we did, now are you sure you don't need any help with…."

"Alice, we have been over this. Emily really wants to do this on her own for Allie. It isn't every day our little girl turns twenty one. Thank you for offering to help with the party though."

"Will you at least let me come over early to help set up," asked Alice in a pout and he winked at her.

"I am sure Emily would love that," said Sam and Jasper emerged from the house to join them on the porch.

"Is everything alright? I can sense your stress," questioned Jasper.

"Allie's birthday is just hitting me harder than I expected. My little girl is twenty one and soon will be a vampire. I spent her entire life trying to protect her from the supernatural and now she is immersed in it."

"But once she is turned, she will have an eternity of happiness, is that not what you want for her," asked Alice and Sam stuffed his hands into his pockets as he shrugged.

"I don't need much in life. I am a pretty simple man and I wanted a simple life for her, a normal life with children running around and a husband to love."

"Sounds boring to me," mumbled Alice.

"Darlin'," warned Jasper, but she scoffed.

"It is true. Sam, I respect your wishes, but did you ever stop to think that Allie never wanted that? Deep down, you know she has always searched for more. She is happy with Zach. She wants to be a vampire and no one is forcing this life on her, especially not her mate. I know a normal life was your dream, but I think we both know Allie has always wanted adventure," said Alice. Allie ran outside and hugged her father tightly.

"Happy birthday, are you ready for breakfast," asked Sam and she happily nodded.

"Yes, it will be fun. Breakfast with you, shopping with mom, an early date night with Zach, and then the party, it will be a full day for me."

"Well you deserve it for being such a great kid. Let's get out of here," said Sam and Allie followed him toward the truck.

"See you tonight, Sam," called Alice and Sam waved to them as he got into the truck. Jasper and Alice watched them depart and she nudged him.

"I meant what I said, Jazzy, even if it wasn't what he wanted to hear."

"Little darlin', you know I love your straight to the point approach, but he is conflicted right now and he isn't the only one. Differing views on Allie's transformation is causing a lot of tension."

"How is Carlisle?"

"You know he worries no matter what, but he is determined to find a cure for the pain on his own now. He is constantly on edge," whispered Jasper.

"It will get better, but for now, let's go on a hunt. You can't fool me. I know you are concerned about tonight."

"The last time I attended a birthday party for a family member's human mate….."

"That was different. You have far more control now and everyone was on edge because we didn't know how to deal with a human. Tonight is going to be great. Don't worry." She kissed her mate and followed him into the forest for a hunt.

Allie hummed a tune as she sat outside on the patio of the café with her father. The rays of sunlight warmed her skin as they seeped in and out of the cloud coverage. The waves crashed into the shore below them and she smiled serenely as she peered out at the ocean. Sam thanked the waiter as he placed two mugs of hot chocolate in front of them.

"Extra marshmallows, just like you love it," said Sam as he pushed a mug toward Allie. She took a sip as she continued to hum.

"What song is that? Something you kids listen to on the radio or something," asked Sam and Allie frowned in confusion.

"What song?"

"The song you have been humming since we got here." She thought for a moment and gasped as the song registered in her mind.

"Sorry dad that is the lullaby Zach wrote for me. He played it for me last night before bed, so it is stuck in my head."

"You really do love him, don't you?" Allie frowned at the question.

"How can you even ask me that? We are mates. Loving him is effortless."

"Is it because you truly love him or because you have been told that is how it will work?"

"What?" Sam sighed as he sat back in his chair.

"I just want you to make sure you know what you are getting into, Allison. These are big decisions and I have seen people love each other because they assume they are supposed to, but that doesn't mean they have the deep connection they believe they do. It was all before your time but…."

"Do you mean Jacob and Renesmee or Benjamin and Tia? Zach told me about both."

"What about Benjamin and Tia? He is with Tanya, not Tia." She smiled smugly.

"Looks like I know more than you about that. Benjamin and Tia thought they were mates, but when he saw Tanya, he knew that wasn't true. They were forced to be mates because of Amun, but that didn't mean they truly were."

"Okay, the kid has told you more than I thought."

"We talk all the time, dad. I know about Renesmee and Jacob and even you and Leah."

"Whoa, you know about….."

"I don't want to get into the details. It kind of creeps me out, but yea I know. I know how mates work and how imprinting does too. I have no doubt that I love Zach and you know why? Because every time we are apart, I feel it. There is this ache in my heart. It nags at me all day when he is at school. It was unbearable when you kept us apart and made me terrified when he went to Italy. It goes away the second I see him and being with him makes me feel happier than I ever imagined."

"I just don't want you to think it is some fairytale and he is the perfect guy. Relationships take work, Allie."

"Trust me Zach is not perfect even though I know he is perfect for me. He can be stubborn and he worries constantly. He has this huge weight on his shoulders all the time and he thinks I don't notice, but I do. He is selfless, but at times I wish he would let me in completely. I know all of that will not just magically go away once I am like him, but at least then I can pester him to tell me without him using the fragile human excuse," she grumbled.

"Sounds like you know him better than I realized. The kid does have a lot on his plate. The things he can do, the amount of restraint it must take for him to act normal every day, that has to get old. Plus, like it or not, you are fragile."

"Oh, so now you are defending him? How convenient. You know, when I tried to go to Italy with him, he said he wouldn't allow me to go. It was ridiculous and I can't wait for that to change."

"The more you tell me about the things you don't like about him, the more I like the kid. He is protective of you and you had no business in Italy. It is nice to know he looks out for you. I guess I have always known that, but this is all so new for me too. With Bella, I didn't have such strong feelings because it didn't affect someone I loved. You are my little girl, Allie."

"Dad, I am twenty one." The waiter placed a plate of pancakes with smiley faces drawn with whip cream, chocolate chips for the eyes, and a cherry for the nose. Sam gave her a look and she blushed as she grabbed her fork.

"Don't judge my pancakes. They are tradition," she defended as she cut into one. Sam laughed.

"It is good to know some things don't change. I know you are an adult now and don't have to, but will you at least keep me updated on your plans with Zach?" She reached over the table to slip her hand into his.

"Always, daddy, I love you and I know how lucky I am to have such amazing parents. Everything is going to be alright. I am meant to be with Zach and not because he calls me his mate. It is because when I am not with him, it shakes me down to my core. Now, sing me happy birthday. That is tradition too." He grinned at his daughter and obliged by singing her happy birthday like he always did.

Bella and Edward smiled from ear to ear when they reached their destination in the forest. The flowers in their meadow were blooming and the sun sparkled against their skin as he placed a blanket on the ground. Bella grabbed a few books from the bag she packed and settled between his legs when Edward sat down. She rested her back against his chest and he wrapped her in his arms.

"It is a beautiful day to be in our meadow, love."

"Yes, it is. I know never to question Alice, but she knows that Zach is at school right? You know she can get so caught up in the excitement of a party that she focuses too much on one path over another." He smiled crookedly.

"She is on it. The sun will not be out for long. By the time Zach and Josh go to lunch, it will be completely cloudy again. I am surprised she hasn't called to pester you for doubting her ability."

"She knows I love her, but I worry about Zach just like she does. The last thing our nephew needs right now is a threat of exposure."

"Very true, he has enough on his plate."

"I don't know how he is able to cope with so much. Carlisle is adamant about not dealing with Merek, but I understand why Zach is thinking about it. Between that and knowing about his future in the vampire world, he must be so stressed."

"Asa was right though. He can handle it and knowing is a blessing for him. That is why she told him. She wanted him to understand what his existence could be if he made the right choices. He also knows that Allie is in his future even if he isn't quite sure which path will lead her to become a vampire."

"Hopefully it is a path that does not upset Carlisle too much. I have never seen him so furious before. Merek must have done a number on him in the past."

"He did, but his mind is full of guilt and shame. He wants to make things right. He will never be able to change the past, but I respect that he wants to redeem himself in some way. I know the feeling."

"Hopefully he can find a cure because while I don't regret becoming a vampire, it would have been nice not to endure the pain. I am jealous that Charlie and Sue got to drink from the Fountain of Youth for their eternity together."

"Yes, but I would miss vampire speed and our abilities. How are Charlie and Sue enjoying Germany?"

"Sue persuaded him to try pickled herring at a restaurant. He was not a fan," she giggled.

"At least she got him to try something besides steak and potatoes."

"He told me the only fish he will ever eat from now on will be from a good, old-fashioned fish fry back in the states."

"He has eternity to try new cuisines. I am sure he will find one that suits him," said Edward with a chuckle.

"Eternity is a long time to just eat steak and potatoes," she agreed.

"I am sure he won't mind much though. He has the woman he loves, just like I do. Eternity is blissful as long as that is the case," he assured. She ran her hands through his bronze hair and pulled him closer to her.

"I love you too, Edward. Now how about we make the most of being in our meadow," she suggested as she put her shield down. He grinned at her seductive thoughts and happily nodded.

"With pleasure, love," he whispered against her lips before becoming lost in his mate.

Zach could not help but keep his eyes trained on the clock during his last class of the school day. He glanced over at Josh and saw him sending messages on his phone. Neither of the boys was focused on their work and Zach was relieved when the final bell echoed through the school. He grabbed his backpack and waited for his friend outside of the classroom while Josh flirted with Megan. It became their routine as of late. Josh would flirt and Zach would impatiently wait for it to be over so he could go see Allie.

"So, we are on for today then? When are you coming by to hang out," asked Megan as she tucked a piece of her brown hair behind her ear.

"I just need to drop off Z at home and then I will be over. I have some new video games. Maybe we can play at your house."

"I'm not really into video games. We can watch the new episode of Sweet Life. I love that show." Josh inwardly cringed at the mention of the popular teenage sitcom.

"Yea, not a big fan of the show, so how about I pick you up and we go get a burger," suggested Josh.

"I am a vegetarian, but I do like the French fries from the diner. We can share a shake," said Megan and Josh kissed the top of her hand.

"Sounds fun, I will be over in an hour," informed Josh before joining his friend in the hallway. Zach smiled slyly at Josh as they headed for the exit.

"How did you not know she is a vegetarian? Haven't you been talking with her for a month?"

"We usually just talk about school and all the drama. How can I date someone that is a vegetarian?"

"I am a vegetarian and you hang with me," teased Zach and Josh rolled his eyes.

"Oh you are just hilarious. Seriously Z, she doesn't even like video games," he whispered as if the words were too blasphemous to say too loudly.

"Most girls aren't into the stuff we are into. I just got lucky with Allie, but there are more teenage girls like Megan and Courtney than women like Allie."

"Sad, but true."

"Hey, what does it really matter anyways? You didn't imprint and you said it yourself. You aren't looking for a long-term girlfriend right now. Would it kill you to not play video games for a few hours and just hang out with her? At least she is willing to go to the diner and eat French fries with you. It will give you a chance to talk and it sounds like you two need that."

"I guess you are right. You are really lucky to have Al though. I hope my girl is like that when I meet her. Not as annoying…."

"Hey," warned Zach.

"But still cool and fun to hang out with. Al can be one of the guys. I like that about her, so when are you going to make it official by turning her?" Zach groaned as they entered the parking lot and headed for Josh's truck.

"Do we have to have this conversation every day?"

"We don't have it every day. Most days, but not every day, and since you refuse to answer, I will just have to continue to pester you about it," said Josh as they hopped into his truck.

"My answer still has not changed."

"Why not? You should at least talk to Merek about it. What are you waiting for?"

"My grandpa to not be so mad about it, for one." Josh chuckled as he sped out of the parking lot.

"Yea, I don't think I have ever seen Carlisle so pissed before. Even when he fights, he looks apologetic as he is beheading someone. I understand that you want his approval, but isn't this about you and Allie, not him? Sometimes you have to do what is best for you. Alice and Edward are cool with it and so are your parents."

"I am going to talk to Merek. I am just trying to figure out the best time and right now I want to focus on Allie. It is her birthday and that is where my attention should be."

"So what are you two going to do this afternoon, make out?" Zach rolled his eyes.

"I can't wait until you find your girl because when you do, I am going to pester you like you pester us."

"Good, then you will see just how fun it is," teased Josh as he turned down the hidden trail to the Cullen House.

"So are you going to ask Megan to prom today?"

"I am not sure. It depends how the mood is, but she is definitely the girl I will take. You know Courtney keeps turning down offers, right? She is holding out hope that you will ask her."

"Then I guess I will just have to make sure everyone at school knows I already asked Allie. You think you can help me out with that?"

"I will tell Megan. She will probably tell her friends and it will spread like wildfire after that. Maybe that's another reason I find it hard to date girls at school. With all the secrets in our family, I need someone who won't blab to the first person they see. I will add that to my list."

"Your list?"

"Yea, the list of qualities I need in my mate."

"You know lists aren't going to help you, right? The moment I saw Allie, I knew she was special."

"Yea, but she is also perfect for you. Maybe my list will help me be on the lookout for my perfect girl," explained Josh as he parked in front of the house. Zach grinned when Allie walked onto the porch.

"Speaking of the perfect girl," whispered Zach to himself as he saw his mate in a beautiful sundress.

"Have fun, I will see you at the party tonight."

"Sounds good, hey, try to keep an open mind with Megan. She might not be your dream girl, but I think she is nice. See you tonight," said Zach. They did their secret handshake before he hopped out of the truck. Allie giggled when he leapt onto the porch and pulled her into his arms.

"How was your day, nayeli?"

"Good, but I missed you and I might just have to miss you for a bit longer this weekend. My mom has planned a trip to some spa a couple of hours from here. She wants us to stay the night and spend some time together. A part of me really wants to say no, but I can tell this is important to her and we haven't spent a lot of time together, but I also don't want to be without you and…."

"Allie, you are rambling," he informed, causing her to blush.

"Right, well that tends to happen when I am conflicted."

"What is there to be conflicted about? Go have fun. You know I understand what it is like to need to spend time with your family. I will miss you dearly, but I am sure you will enjoy doing whatever it is humans do at a spa." She giggled and kissed him sweetly.

"I love you, Cullen, even when you are dismissive of all things human."

"I am not dismissive. I am a vampire. I don't necessarily have to understand the ways of human relaxation. I am sure you will have fun though, so are you ready for our date?" She gave a twirl in her sundress and he chuckled.

"Do I look ready?"

"Oh you look more than ready," he assured and scooped her up into his arms, making her laugh.

"Where exactly are we going for our date? I figured we would just hang out at the comic book store until you told me I should put on what I am going to wear at the party."

"What is the one thing you asked me for when we talked about your birthday?"

"You, just time alone with you."

"Your wish is my command," he informed before darting into the forest east of the house. She tucked her head into the crook of his neck and held onto him tightly as the forest blurred around them. They stopped in front of a stone path leading to a picturesque cottage and her jaw dropped at its beauty. The cottage was modern, yet rustic, and made from various stones and wooden logs. The steep pitch roof was accompanied by gables and a stone fireplace. The craftsmanship of the exterior exuded a welcoming environment and she slipped her hand into his as he led her down the path.

"Welcome to Seth and Kaya's cottage. They are letting us borrow it for a bit."

"Wait, this is their cottage? When you said your grandmother built them a cozy cottage, I thought it would be much smaller than this."

"It feels cozy, but my grandma doesn't do anything without a flare," he explained as he opened the front door for her. They entered the living room and the blaze from the fireplace immediately warmed her skin. Allie took in a deep breath and the smell of baked goods filled her nose. Her stomach growled and Zach chuckled.

"You are lucky it is your birthday. I don't think Seth would share so many of his favorite cookies with you if it wasn't," he teased as he walked over to the coffee table and handed her the plate full of cookies.

"I am definitely a lucky girl," she giggled and sat down on the couch. He kissed the top of her head.

"I will be right back. You look gorgeous and I am underdressed." He darted upstairs and Allie looked around in awe of the cottage. She took a bite of a cookie before putting the plate down and walking over to the mantel above the fireplace. There were several pictures and she smiled at one with Seth, Kaya, Rosalie, Emmett, and a small boy. She picked up the wooden frame to get a closer look.

"I was only a year old when that was taken," said Zach as he entered the living room again. Her eyes widened when she saw him standing before her in a pair of jeans, a black vest, and a red dress shirt. His designer black boots made him an inch taller than usual and she reached up to run her hands through his curly hair.

"You are so gorgeous and you look so cute in this picture. I can't believe you are only one in it."

"I told you I grew really fast."

"Obviously, but you are still so tiny compared to now. You were an adorable little boy. It makes me wonder how cute our kid would be," she admitted and his eyes widened.

"Are you saying….."

"No, I still meant what I said before. Kids are not a priority to me, but it is nice to know we would have adorable kids if they looked anything like you," she said as she placed the picture back on the mantel.

"Well I am sure their mother would have something to do with that," he teased as he pulled her into his arms and she cringed.

"Is it bad that the idea of being a mother terrifies me? It doesn't actually fit into my plans for our future together."

"You have plans for our future?"

"Of course I do. I want to travel the world with you and race through the forest without you needing to carry me. I want to actually know what it is like to hunt and venture into Alaska. I want to swim through the ocean without taking a single breath and scale up mountains with ease. I want to read books as fast as you can and remember every single detail. The vampire hearing wouldn't be that great though."

"So that's what you think about when you imagine our lives together?"

"Yes, I think about adventure and passionate nights of making love. I think about living life to the fullest with you and the sooner you turn me, the sooner all of that can happy."

"Allie…."

"Zach, I know why we are waiting. I just can't help but to think about it now that I am officially twenty one."

"It is your birthday, so how about instead of talking about the future, we embrace the moment? Dance with me, nayeli," he suggested as he offered her his hand. She slipped her hand into his and turned on the stereo with the remote on the mantel. She wrapped her arms around his neck as they swayed to the music and beamed with happiness.

"Is this practice for prom," she teased.

"We don't need practice. You and I fit perfectly together and I love dancing with you."

"Thank you for doing all this for me. I love it and it is the best way to spend my birthday. All I want is to be with you," she said as she rested her cheek against his shoulder.

"I am glad you like it."

"It is so beautiful here. I can't believe your grandmother built this place."

"She is already thinking about what our cottage will look like." Her head darted up and eyes filled with excitement.

"Really?"

"We will need our privacy on the island and Aunt Alice already showed her the perfect place."

"Will you show me the next time we are there?" He grinned and nodded.

"Of course, nayeli, so are you hungry? I know there will be food at the party, but I wanted to make sure you weren't starving. My grandma made your favorite sandwich, soup, and some muffins."

"I love her. She is always watching out for all of us. I will eat in a bit, but first I want to enjoy my time with my boyfriend. You know, embrace the moment," she informed before kissing him. He happily kissed her and swayed to the music.

Zach and Allie spent hours in the cottage before heading to La Push for her birthday party. It was a beautiful evening and the clouds dispersed to let the sunset appear in the distance. Shades of orange, pink, purple, and red dissolved across the sky as it darkened. Several cars lined the driveway and Zach could hear his family down at the beach below. He sensed humans inside the house and took in a deep breath as his nerves started to get the best of him. Allie noticed his change in demeanor.

"For a vampire that doesn't need to breathe, you sure do that a lot when you are nervous," she teased and he smiled sheepishly.

"Yea, sometimes it can be calming, especially when I am close to you. There are some people here to see you and the pack's parents are here as well. I just don't want things to be awkward like last time."

"Zach, you and I are forever. I have the locket to prove it so it doesn't matter what anyone in that house thinks, especially Faye. Don't worry. Tonight is going to be great and your family is here for backup. Looks like Josh is running late though," said Allie as she pointed down the road where Josh was speeding toward them. He parked behind their car and hopped out with a sigh.

"Sorry I am late. I had to drop Megan off and then head home to get dressed. You know I had to look good for your birthday, Al," said Josh as he made a show of smoothing down his black dress shirt that was neatly tucked into his dark jeans. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up to his elbows and some of the buttons were undone.

"You look very handsome, Josh. How was your date with Megan," asked Allie and Josh smirked.

"Boring, don't get me wrong. She is very nice, but every time she would ask me a question, I had to lie or omit parts of my answer. She asked me about my parents and I had to omit the part about them being two of the most powerful wolves ever. I couldn't tell her about all of my family. When she asked me why I don't play sports, I had to lie and say it is because I am uncoordinated. I had to downplay so much and it just made me realize that I can't have a normal relationship with a girl from school because I am not normal." Zach patted him on the back.

"Didn't the Nina Debacle teach you that," teased Zach.

"Yea, but I was still holding out hope that I could at least pretend to be normal without holding back so much," admitted Josh. Allie scoffed.

"Normal is so overrated, Josh. You are awesome. Aren't you the one always telling me about all that alphaness running through you? You deserve someone that can appreciate that. Who cares if it isn't some teenage girl from Forks High," said Allie.

"Thanks," said Josh as he gave her a hug.

"So does that mean you aren't going to take her to prom," questioned Zach.

"Oh, I am totally taking her to prom. She said yes and looks forward to hanging out with the two of you." Zach frowned in confusion.

"But you just said….."

"Z, this is high school. Not everyone gets to be with the only person in the world that is made for them. The time will come for me to find the right girl, but until then I plan on having fun with all the wrong ones," said Josh with a cheesy grin and Allie giggled.

"Oh you poor baby, you look so broken up about that," she teased.

"It is hard to be me, Al. What can I say? Now, how about we go inside and party it up for your birthday," suggested Josh. Zach and Allie followed him into the house and the sound of music and laughter grew louder. The music thumped around them and Allie was surprised when she saw Mia, Lexie, and several of her old friends from the reservation. They ran over to hug her and Josh nudged Zach.

"Dude, that is a lot of girls. Maybe I should have waited to ask Megan to prom," whispered Josh and Zach chuckled. Sam clapped them both on the back and whispered into their ears.

"Emily saw Mia at the store and decided to invite her. The girls aren't staying long, but they wanted to drop by for a bit, which means we need to keep the supernatural element to a minimum. Think you can handle that," asked Sam and Josh rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"I think I can handle that," said Josh before going over to introduce himself to the group of girls that were mingling with the pack. Zach put on his most charming smile as Allie led Mia over to him.

"Zach, this is my friend, Mia. Mia, this is my boyfriend, Zach," she introduced and Mia's jaw dropped as she gawked at him.

"Wow, I didn't know they made guys like you in high school. Are you sure you are only sixteen," questioned Mia and Zach grinned even more.

"Trust me, I have asked him that plenty of times," said Allie.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mia," called Zach over the music. Lexie smiled at Zach as she approached them.

"Wow, Allie, no wonder you are never around. You are surrounded by hot guys. Your boyfriend is sexy," Lexie whispered loudly and Zach pretended not to hear the comment as he grinned dimply.

"Lexie, this is Zach. Zach, Lexie, we went to high school together," introduced Allie.

"Nice to meet you, Lexie," said Zach with a wave. Mia continued to openly stare at him in a daze and Lexie nudged her.

"Come on, let's go dance for a bit before we have to go. I want to talk to Drew. It has been a really long time since I saw him last. He is so cute," whispered Lexie into Mia's ear. Mia absentmindedly nodded as she snapped out of her trance of Zach and headed to the dance floor. Allie wrapped her arms around her boyfriend.

"You need to get control over that dazzling thing you do, Cullen. I wouldn't want my friends to get the wrong idea," she teased and he leaned his forehead against hers.

"There is only one woman I go out of my way to dazzle and she is in my arms right now. Want to go dance? They look like they are having fun," asked Zach and Allie giggled as she saw her friends dancing with the pack and Josh in the living room. She nodded and pulled Zach toward the group. The pack greeted her with happy birthday wishes and a permanent smile was on her face as she danced to the upbeat tempo with Zach.

Rosalie laughed at her husband and Jacob as they argued around the bonfire down at the beach below Sam and Emily's house. The adults decided to leave the kids to their fun and headed down to the beach to enjoy the fire. Quil was grilling hot dogs, steaks, and vegetables while the others dispersed into different conversations. Embry, Jared, Kim, and Claire shook their heads in amusement at the two men as Leah groaned.

"Em, do you have to tease my husband about this," asked Leah and Emmett nodded with a mischievous smile.

"Hey, it isn't my fault your husband was a weird kid. I wish Drew was around back when Jake was growing up. Maybe he would have knocked some sense into him. You see how he is dealing with Allie choosing Zach over him? No wars, no threats, no imprinting on her child, just moving on like there are plenty of fish in the sea for him. See Jacob, that is what we call a healthy breakup," teased Emmett. Jacob took a swig of his beer.

"I was a hormonal teenage boy. Can you please cut me some slack? I turned out just fine," defended Jacob and Emmett guffawed.

"Yea after years of conspiring to take us down didn't work. Face it man, you were a weird kid, totally out there," laughed Emmett.

"I actually have to agree with Emmett on this one," admitted Jared with a sheepish smile and everyone laughed as Jacob threw up his hands in exasperation. Leah kissed her husband.

"Don't worry, babe, I still love you no matter what they say. You were not weird," assured Leah and Rosalie smirked.

"How quickly you forget that he spent years drooling over my little niece instead of seeing the beautiful woman that was not only willing to be with him, but much closer to his age," reminded Rosalie. Leah thought for a moment before shrugging and taking the bottle of beer from her husband.

"They are right. You were a weird kid," she agreed before taking a swig from the bottle. Emmett's booming laugh echoed around them as Jacob looked at his wife in shock.

"Hey, you are my wife. You are supposed to take up for me no matter what," he argued. She giggled as she hugged him.

"I will always defend you…now. Your early years, on the other hand, well, you are on your own," she teased and he playfully glared at her.

"Weird kid," bellowed Emmett and Jacob chuckled.

"Fine, I will give Drew his props for handling it better than I did. I am really lucky I got a second chance," conceded Jacob before kissing his wife. Embry nodded in agreement.

"True, but don't feel bad, Jake. Most of the kids have handled phasing better than we did. Evan is such a great kid. I am proud that he is a wolf. I just wish his mother could see that," confessed Embry and Rosalie arched an eyebrow when she followed his gaze to Faye. She was sitting a few yards away from the bonfire and looking out at the water.

"Aw yes, Faye Call, excuse me while I check something off of my list," said Rosalie, but Esme patted her shoulder with a sly smile.

"Enjoy the party, dear. I will handle it," stated Esme. Rosalie beamed with pride at her mother, but Embry gulped.

"Should I be worried," asked Embry.

"Nah, Esme is cool," assured Jacob. Leah winked at Embry.

"Now if Rose was heading over there, you would need to alert everyone to take cover," teased Leah and Rosalie stuck her tongue out at her friend as everyone laughed.

Faye picked at the plastic on the bottle of beer in her hands as she watched the waves crash into the shore. She was lost in thought and Esme sat down beside her on the massive piece of driftwood, which made her jump. Esme smiled sympathetically at her.

"I apologize if I scared you. I am not used to being around people who don't hear me coming a mile away."

"Yea, well, I am just a human. I need a bit more warning," said Faye.

"I am Esme Cullen…."

"I know who you are. Evan talks about you all the time."

"He is an amazing young man. Did he show you his grades? He is doing so well in school. You should be proud." Faye nodded as she looked down.

"He told me you helped him with his math homework. That was very nice of you."

"He would have preferred you."

"I doubt that. He doesn't need me. There is nothing I can give him that your family and the pack can't."

"Is that why you stay away and bury yourself in work? You think he doesn't need you anymore?"

"I can't keep up with him. When he first phased, I would stay up all night waiting for him to come home. Embry told me not to worry, but how could I not? After a while, I accepted the fact that he wasn't my little boy anymore. I realized that he was changing. It wasn't just his size and the way he grew either. He was so emotional. He would lose his temper and it is easier to stay away. At least at work I can help people. I feel helpless not being able to do anything for my own son."

"When my children first changed, I felt helpless as well. Edward and Rosalie were the most difficult. They both hated what they were and created distance in their own ways, but I knew I needed to be patient. I needed to let them know that when they were ready, they could come to me. I would be waiting on them and when they stopped being so angry at the world, I was there to welcome them back with open arms. Evan was a scared child who didn't know how to manage his emotions, Faye. He knows how to now and this isn't the time to keep your distance. It is the time to embrace him," advised Esme as tears streamed down Faye's cheeks.

"Why are you being so nice to me? You don't even know me and what you do know I am sure isn't flattering."

"Because I am a mother and I know he needs you in his life. All he wants is your attention, your affection, and there will be times when you are helpless in the supernatural world, but you will always be his mother." Faye wiped her tears as Esme stood up.

"Thank you, Esme."

"You're welcome. Oh and there is one more thing. My daughter would not let me hear the end of it if I didn't say this. Zach is a wonderful young man and he respects your tribe. You do not have to agree with Allie's decision to be with him, but it would be more productive for all involved, if you could at least be civil," suggested Esme with a polite smile and Faye blushed as she remembered her last encounter with Zach.

"Understood," said Faye and Esme nodded before walking over to her family again. Embry joined his wife by the water as Rosalie pouted at Esme.

"You call that a threat? Mom, I am disappointed," said Rosalie and Esme giggled.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, but believe me when I say that was her last," assured Esme.

Edward held his wife close as they sat on a piece of driftwood by the bonfire. He took in the scene around him and grinned crookedly. Jacob, Leah, Seth, and Kaya were eating hot dogs and joking around with Quil, Collin, Brady, and Jared, reminiscing about the adventures of the old pack. Renesmee and Nahuel were eating steak as they sat on the other side of the bonfire and talked about planning a vacation. Claire, Kim, Emily, Laura, and Liz were sipping wine and talking about their kids growing up too fast. Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie talked about the evolution of automobiles and what type of cars they would like to add to their collections. Emmett and Jasper argued over the best places to hunt. The group was enjoying the relaxed gathering as the kids continued to celebrate inside the house. Sam and Alice sat down beside Edward and Bella as they observed the conversations taking place. Edward smiled at Sam's thoughts.

"Agreed, this would not have been possible decades ago," said Edward and Sam slowly nodded.

"Our families have come a long way and now with Allie and Zach finding one another, they will be connected forever," said Sam.

"The families were connected the moment Bella and Edward decided to be together, Sam," informed Alice and Sam sighed.

"Yea, but this is different. Bella and Edward could have decided to distance themselves from the pack and that would be that. Allie is my daughter and she will be a Cullen soon. Wow, that means Rosalie and Emmett will be related to me and Emily now," said Sam and Alice giggled.

"And so the web of the Uley family tree continues to tangle," teased Alice. Bella smiled warmly at Sam.

"Having Rose and Em as family isn't that bad, trust us," assured Bella, but Sam shook his head.

"That is the least of my worries. I was just thinking about all the pain Allie will have to endure when she is turned. Even after the three days, there is no guarantee she will not slip up and kill a human. Our tribe has fought to protect against such things and now one of our own may fall victim to it. Things have changed so much." Alice placed her hand on Sam's shoulder.

"That isn't going to happen. You have my word, Sam," vowed Alice.

"How do you know? Have you seen something," he asked and she glanced at Edward who subtly shook his head. Alice gave Sam a comforting smile.

"Just trust that we have her best interest at heart and she will be just fine," said Alice and Sam sighed, but nodded.

"I hope you are right. It will take me some time to get used to all of this, but it is her choice and she is adamant about being changed soon," he admitted and gulped down the rest of his beer. They looked up toward the house when they heard raucous laughter. The pack and Josh were teasing each other while Zach gave Allie a piggyback ride down to the beach.

"Allie's friends have to leave, so now they are bringing the party down here," informed Alice as they heard the music blaring from the compact stereo in Josh's hand. The pack and Josh made a beeline toward the food while Zach carried Allie over to the bonfire. She hopped off his back and hugged her father happily.

"Hey daddy, thank you for the party. This is great."

"We even have your favorite cake," informed Sam and Zach chuckled at the way her eyes lit up at the mention of dessert. She slipped her hand into Zach's and they followed Sam toward the table he set up for the party. Bella nudged Edward and nodded in the direction of Faye. The woman tapped her son on the shoulder and pulled him in for a warm hug, which surprised Evan. He hugged her back tightly and Esme smiled as she watched with Carlisle.

"Esme knows how to get through to people," whispered Bella to Edward.

"Faye isn't blind. She knew she was hurting Evan by keeping her distance and Embry let her know that too, but she wasn't sure she could be part of this world as a human. Mom changed her mind."

"How?"

"She reminded Faye that they are mothers, supernatural world or not," whispered Edward and Bella nodded in understanding as she gazed at her daughter, who was dancing with Nahuel. It was a beautiful night, everyone was enjoying the party, and any tension amongst the group ceased as they celebrated Allie's birthday.

Several hours later, the party dispersed, but Allie and Zach stayed behind to enjoy the serene night as the bonfire continued to blaze. The moon's reflection on the water and the crashing of waves set a tranquil ambiance as they held one another. Allie shivered and Zach placed his leather jacket around her shoulders.

"Thanks, I should have brought the leather jacket Tanya and Benjamin bought me, but it clashed with my dress."

"Don't worry, I don't mind sharing," he teased as he wrapped her up.

"Do you ever get cold, even a little bit?"

"No. I can feel the changes in temperature and detect coolness and heat, but it doesn't bother me."

"So your jacket is a fashion choice?" He chuckled and nodded.

"Yes, but it also helps me blend in with humans more. If I am not in a jacket when it is cold, humans would wonder why."

"I guess that makes sense. I feel like no matter how much I know about you, there will always be more questions."

"It is a lot of information for a human. It never ceases to amaze me just how accepting you are of everything I tell you."

"I love you, so of course I accept who you are. Besides, the more I know, the better I will be prepared for the change."

"So even after today, you still want to be changed?"

"Why would I change my mind about that?"

"Seeing your old friends, hanging out with your family, I am sure it made you think about staying human. You even mentioned children earlier."

"Yea, because that picture of you made me wonder about it, but not enough to change my mind. It was a thought, not a doubt."

"But what about your family?"

"Zach, I love my family, but I don't have to miss out on them because I am a vampire and the rest of the human stuff is worth sacrificing. Everyone that matters most to me knows about you."

"What about Mia and Lexie and all of your friends? You haven't spent time with them since you found out about me because you don't want to have to hide my secrets, just like Josh has to hide them from people like Megan."

"Wow, Cullen, you sure are making a lot of assumptions. I haven't seen most of those girls since I left for Stanford. We lost touch years ago and as far as Mia and Lexie, I don't hang with them because of my issues with them personally, not because you are a vampire. They can be really judgmental and negative about outsiders and the world beyond the rez. I realized that before I even knew you existed, so I assure you that while you are the center of my world, I make my own decisions," she informed as she sat on his lap and he smiled sadly.

"You are the center of my world too, Allie. That's why I want to make sure I am doing right by you."

"Right by me? Zach, why is it so hard for you to accept my choices? It hurts that no matter how accepting of you I am, you can't return the favor."

"That's not fair. You aren't asking me to give up anything to be with you. The situation is different. These choices are permanent, so I want to make sure you understand that."

"Please do not insult my intelligence."

"I'm not….."

"Aren't you by continuously asking me the same questions over and over again like I am some fragile, weak-minded girl that doesn't know how to make her own decisions in life? I am starting to think you are making up these reasons to talk me out of becoming a vampire because you don't want me to be one." He laughed bitterly.

"If you really think that then you don't know how much I love you."

"Well, you obviously don't know how much I love you," she argued and he shook his head in amusement. She frowned.

"What is so funny, Cullen? Are you laughing at me?"

"No, nayeli, I am laughing at us. You do realize we are arguing over how much we love each other, right?" She thought for a moment and giggled as she nodded.

"Yes, I guess we are."

"It isn't the worst argument to have, but you are right. I am trying to give you reasons because I love you so much that I want what is best for you, even if that means not being with me eternity."

"Zachary Carlisle McCarty Cullen, look me in the eyes," she demanded as she ran her hands through his curly hair. Their eyes locked and she smiled adoringly at him.

"Do you really believe you are not what is best for me," she questioned and he smiled as he shook his head.

"No, I don't believe that. We are too amazing together for that to be true."

"Am I your mate?"

"Yes."

"Do you love me?"

"Without a doubt."

"Then change me," she declared and he gulped at the determination in her deep brown eyes.

"Okay," he agreed.

"No more questions about my love for you or my choices. I know what I want and what I have. I am willing to burn for three days as long as I have you when it is over." The finality of her statement made him smile and he kissed her tenderly.

"Then when the time is right, I will change you," he assured.

"Promise," she asked and he grinned from ear to ear.

"I promise, nayeli." With those words, she kissed him tenderly and Zach was more than happy to let the world around them fade into the background while he relished in the moment with his mate.

Later that night, Zach stroked Allie's hair as she rested in his arms in bed. She was deep in slumber and he kissed her forehead as his mind roamed. A small smile crept onto his lips as he heard the pitter patter of feet coming up the stairs. He quietly rolled out of bed and tucked Allie in before leaving. As soon as he closed the door behind him, Alice was by his side with a bright smile.

"It is about time," she whispered and he rolled his eyes.

"I needed to find the perfect time."

"With Allie in Port Angeles this weekend with her mom, you will have plenty of time to speak with Merek," she advised as she gracefully skipped down the stairs beside him. Zach eyed her suspiciously.

"Wait, did you plan this," questioned Zach and Alice shrugged.

"Emily wasn't sure what to do with Allie for her birthday, so I may have suggested a spa getaway."

"What happened to not meddling?"

"I wouldn't have to meddle if people stopped dragging their feet. Honestly, you would think it is rocket science. Allie wants to be a vampire. You want Allie to be a vampire, but not have to suffer. Merek has the antidote. Why must this be so difficult? You wonder why I meddle, there is your answer. This family tries to make things far too difficult," she ranted and he chuckled.

"Sorry our life-altering decisions take time, Aunt Alice."

"I know you are being sarcastic, but I still accept your apology." She lifted up onto her tiptoes to kiss his cheek as they entered the family room, but Zach's smile faded when he saw the entire family waiting for him. Carlisle was stoic as he stood beside Esme, but the rest of the family had encouraging smiles on their faces. Emmett and Rosalie walked over to their son.

"So you are ready to do this, baby boy," asked Emmett and Zach glanced over at his grandfather. Rosalie cupped his cheek.

"Don't let anyone make this decision for you. This is about you and Allie. Everyone else will accept that," she informed as she gave her father a stern look. Alice handed her phone to Zach.

"Ready when you are," said Alice. Everyone was silent as Zach pushed a button and waited for Merek to answer.

"Zachary McCarty Cullen, how are you, mate? I was expecting your call," said Merek.

"Sorry it took me so long. I just had some things to work out first."

"Zachary, when you have existed for as long as I have, weeks seem like hours. No worries. You didn't keep me waiting. Have you made a decision?"

"Yes and my decision is that I am going to meet you so we can talk about this. I am willing to listen, but you have to be completely honest with me, Merek. That means telling me about this experiment, but also your past. I am not going to help you if I don't believe you are doing this for the right reasons."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Alice has my coordinates. You have picked a good time to visit. Northern Alaska isn't as dreary in the spring. When can I expect you?"

"This weekend I will go see my family on Mount McKinley and then head your way."

"Splendid and feel free to bring them along with you, the more the merrier. You and I are going to make history and that is saying a lot in our world. Does your grandfather know of your plans?"

"Yes," growled Carlisle and Merek smirked.

"Come now, Carlisle, if anyone should be mad, it should be me after that stunt you pulled during our last confrontation. You are welcomed to join us. How about we let bygones be bygones, mate," suggested Merek and Carlisle grabbed the phone.

"You and I are not friends. My vow still stands, Merek. If you harm my family, I will end you, and yes, I do consider Allie as part of my family."

"Such anger, honestly Carlisle I believed you of all people would remain a gentleman throughout the end of time. It is quite the pity that you have changed so much. I will open my home to you and your family. All I ask in return is that you refrain from attacking me. That is one part of history I would not like to repeat anytime soon."

"It better not be the only history that doesn't repeat," threatened Carlisle.

"I could not agree more. You and I are not the same men we once were. I have learned from my mistakes."

"So have I, which is why I want you away from my family."

"This is getting quite ridiculous, this vicious cycle we find ourselves in. I believe we are at an impasse, but lucky for me, your grandson does not agree with your view. I hope to see you all very soon," said Merek before hanging up. Carlisle stormed out of the room and Zach looked down in shame as Esme went after her mate. Rosalie hugged her son.

"Don't worry about your grandfather. He has made his choices in life and now you are making yours. When do you want to leave," asked Rosalie and Zach smiled at his mother.

"Can we go tomorrow after school," he asked and Emmett kissed his son's hair.

"Of course, baby boy, that is perfect! It will give us a chance to hunt in Alaska again," exclaimed Emmett and Zach hugged his father.

"Thanks for always finding the bright side, dad," said Zach and Emmett ruffled his curls.

"Always, son," said Emmett. Rosalie glanced over at Edward and he nodded in agreement at her thoughts.

Something has to be done about Carlisle. I will talk to him tomorrow before we leave.

Edward winked at her and she hugged her son as she thought about her father's flare in temper whenever Merek was involved. Zach made his choice and wanted to head to Alaska to hear Merek out. The question would be if Carlisle chose to support his grandson's decision or not.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

While Zach and Josh were at school on Friday, Rosalie waited for Carlisle on the porch. He received a call from the hospital in La Push that morning and went to assist with a surgery. Emmett kissed her forehead as he joined his mate on the front porch and wrapped her in his strong arms.

"Do you want backup or should I wait inside," he questioned. She rested her head against his shoulder.

"He may be less defensive if I speak with him one on one. I am surprised he is not willing to at least go to Merek's lab with us."

"You know I love him, but Carlisle is a man of conviction to a fault sometimes. He believes Merek is evil and there may not be a way to change his opinion on that." Rosalie took in a deep breath to steady her nerves as they heard Carlisle's Mercedes coming down the road. Emmett kissed his mate before going inside and Rosalie walked down the front steps to greet her father as he parked in the garage.

"Was the surgery a success," asked Rosalie and Carlisle smiled at her as he stepped out of the car with his medicine bag.

"Yes, the procedure was routine and I was happy to assist. It gave me a chance to let the hospital know I would not be available all weekend. I have no interest in seeing Merek again, but it will be nice to speak with Eleazar and the others while you are there."

"Zach would love it if you came with us. We could use your expertise."

"Why, so you can ignore my advice like you have since we went to Italy," questioned Carlisle as he tried to walk past Rosalie, but she stepped in front of him to impede his progress.

"Why are you being so stubborn about this?"

"Because I know what is best for this family…."

"And I know what is best for my son. Carlisle, I love you, but I am surprised that you rather put your hard feelings toward Merek before the happiness of your grandson and his mate."

"Rosalie…."

"If Merek can make the transition easier for Allie, then you should support that even if it means accepting the help of someone you hate. I have always been inspired by your compassion. At times it can be infuriating, but this time I thought it would work to my advantage. The odd thing is that I thought I would be angry that you would turn your back on Allie and Zach like this, but I find now that I am just disappointed," admitted Rosalie. Carlisle was stunned by the words as Rosalie disappeared into the house. The two of them had their arguments over the years, but it was the first time she had ever said she was disappointed in him.

Zach was conflicted as the school bell echoed through the classroom, signaling the end of the school day and start of the weekend. A part of him was eager to get to Alaska, but another part was nervous. He waited for Josh outside the classroom like usual and Josh kissed Megan on the cheek.

"Sorry we can't hang this weekend, but I will make it up to you," assured Josh.

"I need to shop for prom anyways. I am so happy you finally decided to ask me. I was starting to think you weren't interested," confessed Megan.

"I am glad you said yes. I will see you later. Enjoy the weekend," called Josh as he exited the classroom. Zach winked at his friend as they headed down the hallway.

"Going to Portland for the weekend with your parents, huh," teased Zach and Josh rolled his eyes.

"What was I supposed to say? I can't exactly tell her I am going to Alaska to visit some scientist. This is going to be awesome. I am surprised that you changed your mind though. What happened?"

"Allie happened. We talked last night after the party and this is what she really wants. There is no going back now, so I need to figure out a way to make her as comfortable as possible when it happens."

"Was Carlisle pissed when you told him?"

"Yea, but my parents are right. I can't make my decisions for him. This is about Allie. She is my mate and if I can help through that hell, I will. Can we stop by her house? She is leaving soon, but I promised to see her off," asked Zach as they got into Josh's truck. Josh nodded and turned up the stereo as they headed out of the parking lot.

By the time they reached Allie's house, she was placing her bag in her mother's car. Zach swiftly hopped out of the truck and hugged his mate as she giggled. She kissed him tenderly before shutting the trunk of the car.

"I will be back on Sunday. My mom wants to stay for lunch, but I am going to try to talk her into leaving at breakfast…."

"Allie…."

"I know you will be hunting in Alaska, but I would really love it if we could talk before I go to sleep….."

"Allie…"

"And when I wake up, yea, that would be good, before I go to sleep and when I….." He cut her off with a kiss and she sighed contently as he pulled away to let her catch her breath again.

"You tend to ramble when you are conflicted," he reminded.

"I am going to miss you so much."

"I am going to miss you too, but you will have fun. You and your mother need this time together, but don't worry. I will have my phone on me. If you want to talk, just call me, okay?"

"I will. Have fun with your family too," she said as Sam and Emily emerged from the house. Sam put Emily's suitcase in the trunk and hugged his daughter.

"Have fun, I love you," said Sam.

"Bye daddy," said Allie. She hugged Zach one more time and kissed him chastely. Sam and Zach watched from the driveway as Emily and Allie drove away.

"So, Allie tells me you are going on a hunting trip while she is gone," said Sam.

"Yea, it will be nice to see the rest of the family. What are you going to do while they are away?"

"Embry and Jared have planned a fishing trip."

"Great, well, have fun and I will see you later," called Zach as he turned to leave.

"Zach, you aren't fooling me," warned Sam and Zach stopped dead in his tracks. He gulped and turned around to face him again.

"What do you mean?"

"I know what is going on and there is no reason to hide it from me."

"You do?"

"Yea, you are worried about Allie's transformation. I am too, but this is what she wants and I have to accept that. I know you want what is best for her, so you don't have to act weird around me."

"Right, you are right. It is just not something I like to think about much. Have a good weekend, Sam. See you later," said Zach as they shook hands. Zach hurried back into the truck and Josh glanced over at his friend as they sped back toward Forks.

"I know you hate to lie to all of them, but until you know what you are dealing with, it is for the best."

"I know. It just sucks. Keeping things from Sam is one thing, but I hate to hide this from Allie. We agreed to be honest with each other, no secrets. I just want to hear what Merek has to say and figure out a way to make his experiment work. I will tell Allie once I have more information," replied Zach and Josh nodded in agreement.

Nahuel could sense the tension radiating from the family as he grabbed Renesmee's suitcase and followed her downstairs. Everyone was gathering their things and waiting outside to depart. He leaned in to whisper to his mate.

"Jasper must be on edge right now," he whispered.

"I can't remember a time when my parents and grandpa were in a disagreement like this. If Aunt Alice and my dad say we can trust Merek, then I trust him."

"True, but I am not a fan of any vampire that is trying to experiment on the species."

"Joham was insane, but at least I got you out of it. Maybe Merek is too, but if Allie can become one of us thanks to him, it is worth it," she whispered as they exited the house. Edward smiled at the two of them as he walked over to Alice. She shook her head before he even had to ask the question.

Sorry, but no. Dad hasn't made a decision yet about whether he will really stay with the Denalis while we are at the lab or not. I wish he would hurry up though.

"Me too," whispered Edward as he winked at his sister. Rosalie hugged Leah while Jacob and Emmett said their goodbyes.

"You are sure, you are okay with this," asked Leah.

"Alice already said there was no threat or danger so…."

"No, Rose, I mean handling both our boys during all of this. We can make Josh stay."

"I think we both know he would never let any of us hear the end of it. Besides, Zach will need his best friend for support and you aren't as smooth as you think. I know you and Jake want the house to yourselves for a bit, so go have fun."

"Keep me updated," said Leah. Rosalie hugged her again.

"I will," assured Rosalie. Josh and Zach arrived and parked in the garage. The boys walked over to their parents and Jacob and Leah hugged their son.

"You know the rules. Rose and Em are in charge and you will do as they say or deal with us when you get home," warned Leah and Josh groaned.

"Mom, jeez, way to embarrass me, it will be fine," grumbled Josh.

"We will see you when you get back," said Jacob and Josh excitedly nodded. Alice glanced down at her watch and smiled brightly as Esme and Carlisle joined everyone on the front lawn. Suddenly, Connell and Tia appeared.

"I might have to start charging you airfare, wee one," teased Connell and she tapped her temple.

"You were heading there soon anyways. Tia wants to shop with Tanya and you would never miss an opportunity to tease Benjamin about his mate and his ex…well…mate, talking about him while they spend time together." Tia nudged Connell.

"Is that why you kept asking me when I wanted to visit Alaska again," questioned Tia and Connell shrugged.

"What, it is fun to mess with him," chuckled Connell. Jasper locked down the house by inputting a code into the small panel on the side of the garage. He placed his hand over the sensors, so they could verify the authorization before the code synced and engaged. The slabs of metal walls slid over the house and he activated the hologram. An image of a decrepit and deteriorated version of the house appeared.

"All set," announced Jasper as he wrapped an arm around Alice. She gave Connell a nod and he closed his eyes to focus on teleporting everyone to their next destination. They were instantly teleported in front of the Denali House and Alice smirked at him as he rang the doorbell.

"Oh, so now you knock," she teased.

"I decided to take your advice, wee one. It is the least I can do to get back in their good graces after kidnapping them last time." Alice waved him off.

"Kidnapping is such a harsh word," she defended.

"Is it," challenged Edward and she stuck her tongue out at her brother. Garrett excitedly opened the door for them and hugged Zach, who chuckled.

"Hi, Uncle Garrett," greeted Zach as the rest of the Denalis came out to welcome them.

"Let's go see this guy and get you that serum for your mate," exclaimed Garrett. Kate sent a small jolt of electricity to his arm and glanced over at Carlisle, who did not look amused. Garrett cleared his throat.

"I mean, let's go hear what this guy has to say and make a responsible, well thought out decision," rephrased Garrett as everyone exchanged greetings.

"The snow storms ended last night, so you came at a good time. It is warmer than usual for this time of year, already twenty degrees," informed Tanya and Josh huffed.

"Don't you mean only twenty degrees? It is a good thing I am my own personal source of heat," replied Josh as he zipped up his leather jacket.

"It isn't that bad," assured Seth with a wink. Zach anxiously glanced down at his watch.

"Not to be rude, but I would like to get to Merek's as soon as possible before I lose my nerve," confessed Zach and Tanya kissed his cheek with a sympathetic smile.

"You have a big decision to make, but you have our support," said Tanya and Benjamin hugged Zach.

"We are here for you if you need us," added Benjamin.

"You two aren't going," asked Zach.

"No, we will sit this one out, but I meant what I said. You have our support," assured Tanya. Garrett wrapped an arm around Zach.

"Don't worry. Kate and I will be there. I wouldn't miss seeing this for the world," said Garrett.

"Tanya and I have been talking and we think it would be safer if Zafrina, Keegan, Garrett, and I tag along as a precaution. We know Alice says this vampire isn't a threat, but we rather be safe than sorry. It isn't every day a vampire is inviting you to a lab," informed Kate.

"Plus, our encounters with vampires are rarely civil," added Zafrina. Rosalie smiled appreciatively at them.

"It will be nice to have the backup," agreed Rosalie. Edward eyed the others as he gauged their thoughts. He hugged his daughter while Alice focused on her visions.

"Renesmee and Nahuel have decided to stay behind and so have Eleazar, Carmen….and Carlisle," admitted Edward. Nahuel clapped Zach on the back.

"It has nothing to do with not supporting you. I just don't enjoy the idea of being in the room with a vampire that is doing experiments. It brings back a few bad memories for me," confessed Nahuel. Zach hugged him and Renesmee.

"I know it will all work out, little cousin. We will be there in a flash if you need us though," said Renesmee.

"Hey, I get it. What about you, Kaya," asked Zach and Kaya slipped her hand into Seth's.

"I go where my mate goes. I hated Joham and am suspicious of any vampire that obsesses and tinkers with the science of it all, but Seth wants to be there, so I will be there," responded Kaya. Carmen glided over to Zach and kissed each of his cheeks before smiling adoringly at him.

"We might be staying here, but not because we don't support you. We love you very much, Zachary," cooed Carmen as she pulled him in for a hug. Eleazar hugged him next.

"You know I am always thinking strategy. If something does go amiss, Carmen and I will be here to alert the Volturi so we can come get you. The reception in Northern Alaska is much better than it was decades ago, but the extreme cold and harsh blizzards can make communication unpredictable at times. We just want to secure home base in case Merek is planning some sort of attack," explained Eleazar and Alice rolled her eyes.

"You are being paranoid," said Alice.

"You can never be paranoid when it comes to the safety of family. I will admit that my strategy doesn't need so many of us to stay. You and Esme should go, Carlisle," advised Eleazar, but Carlisle's silence was deafening.

"Or not," added Carmen. Zach smiled sadly at his grandfather and gave him a tight hug. Rosalie shook her head in frustration as she watched her son look down in shame.

"I know you don't want me to do this and you are upset with my choice, so I guess I understand you not being there," mumbled Zach. Alice beamed with happiness as a vision filled her eyes and Edward grinned crookedly. Esme kissed her grandson's dimples.

"Hold that thought, sweetheart. Your grandfather and I will be right back," assured Esme as she grabbed her mate's hand. His eyes widened when she tightly squeezed it and put on a polite smile.

"My love, will you come with me," she demanded more than requested and Carlisle gulped as he followed his mate away from the house. Zach and Josh frowned in confusion at the interaction, but the rest of the family smiled.

"What is all of that about," questioned Josh and Rosalie winked at him.

"Let's just say that Carlisle is about to be reminded of all the ways his mate bond works," informed Rosalie cryptically as the others snickered. Zach and Josh glanced at each other warily, but shrugged.

Carlisle laughed nervously as his mate abruptly stopped halfway down the mountain and crossed her arms. She circled him in silence and it was not lost on Carlisle that she was eyeing him in the same way she eyed her prey during a hunt.

"Esme, my love, are you alright?"

"I have tried to be understanding and compassionate, even though you have failed to reciprocate the same courtesy, but I am not alright. Throughout this existence, I have never once questioned your love for this family, but I fear your hatred for Merek outweighs it."

"How can you say that? I am trying to protect this family. The things that Merek has done are unforgiveable."

"Most of us have done unforgiveable things at some point in this existence, Carlisle. We are all capable of making life-altering mistakes, but you have always been there to see this family through it. I have no doubt that Merek has done terrible things, but he did not dispute that in Italy. He made his mistakes, but how can you condemn him when you have family members that have made mistakes as well?"

"That is different."

"Why, because those mistakes didn't involve you? Jasper killed humans and vampires alike. He was part of an army whose sole purpose was to conquer everyone they encountered, but you love him. You love Edward and took him back after he strayed. You showed me more love than I could have ever imagined after I slipped up as a newborn. Mistakes are part of this existence, but unconditional love and support are what make us family. I am not asking you to trust Merek. I am asking you to love our grandson enough to overcome your differences with this man and hear him out."

"But, my love….."

"We are going, Carlisle. That is final," she declared before darting back up the mountain and he gritted his teeth, but followed. Alice and Edward tried to hide their smiles as their parents returned and Esme smiled warmly at Zach.

"Your grandfather and I will be there for moral support," assured Esme as she kissed her grandson's cheek and his eyes lit up.

"Really," he asked happily and Carlisle slowly nodded.

"Yes, we both know how important this decision is and we want to be there for you," conceded Carlisle. Alice clapped happily.

"Then it is all set! Connell, will you please take us to Merek's facility," asked Alice and Connell kissed his mate before walking over to Alice.

"No problem, wee one. All those heading to Anaktuvuk Pass, step forward," he announced. Everyone except for Carmen, Eleazar, Tanya, Benjamin, and Tia stepped forward.

While vampires were not affected by cold climates, the drastic change in temperature was not lost on them as they appeared in front of a vast embankment of snow. Josh pulled the hood of his jacket over his head to help shield his face from the swirling snow. Connell let out a low whistle as he surveyed the area. All there was to see for miles was snow, glaciers, and mountains. The landscape contained no roads, trails, or paths carved out by humans.

"Talk about the middle of nowhere," muttered Connell and Jasper nodded in agreement as he scanned over the vast region.

"I did some research on this place. One can never be too careful when venturing into unknown territory. Our kind rarely migrates this far north. The high elevation isn't ideal for humans either, so this place is virtually untouched. Eleazar is right. There will be a bit of reception, but one gust of wind too strong and it could be knocked out," said Jasper.

"Then we will communicate like I did when I was in the Guard. Send me a code every hour. If I do not receive one, I will come back to get you. There should also be a code in case of an emergency," advised Connell.

"1948 will signal all is well. 1863 will alert you to send the Calvary," informed Jasper.

"1948 and 1863, any particular reason for those numbers," asked Connell.

"1948 is the year I met my darlin' and 1863 is when I became a vampire."

"Works for me," agreed Connell. The ground began to rumble beneath their feet and the edge of the embankment slowly shifted upward. Snow fell around a metal opening that revealed an entrance. It seemed completely out of place compared to the thick snow and wilderness surrounding it. A bulky, metal door creaked open and out stepped Merek with a bright smile.

"Cullens, I am honored that you are here. Zachary, I see you brought many advisors. Welcome to, well, nowhere. I am working on a name, but this part of Alaska is too far north to be considered truly Anaktuvuk Pass and too far south of Umiat to be part of that territory. Perhaps Merektown...Merekville…no how about….." Connell whispered to Jasper as Merek continued to list off several names.

"He sounds like a madman. I am sure the isolation doesn't help. 1948, 1863," whispered Connell before addressing the others.

"Have fun with the header over there," called Connell before disappearing and Merek frowned in confusion.

"Header," he questioned and Alice waved him off.

"Just a bit of Irish slang, but don't worry about him. Let's get inside before the snow swallows us whole," suggested Alice as she shook the cumulating snow from her hair. Jasper was quickly by her side as she stepped through the massive door and entered. The others followed and Merek closed the door behind them. They walked down a steep, steel staircase through a narrow, downward tunnel as Merek spoke.

"I chose this location because of the privacy and availability. Since it is in the middle of nowhere, I had no problem finding space and to make it even better, this was originally an old bunker that the military built after World War II. The government figured it would be far enough north to escape radiation caused by nuclear warfare, but they abandoned the bunker twenty years after it was built," explained Merek as they made it to the end of the tunnel that opened into a massive laboratory. Large flat screens covered each wall and there were several computers installed throughout the brightly lit room. Sleek steel tables were set up with scientific equipment that varied from ancient Bunsen burners to state of the art, high-end machines.

"You have an impressive laboratory, Merek. Where did you get the funding for it," questioned Carlisle.

"I made some good investments over the years. The equipment costs far more than the facility. You should have seen it when I first got here. It needed a good scrubbing, but now it is in pristine condition. Quite ironic that a bunker used for such a thing is now at my disposal, right, mate," said Merek and Carlisle grabbed his arm tightly as he hissed at the man.

"Carlisle," warned Esme, but her mate's eyes were trained on Merek.

"You think your past murders are ironic," growled Carlisle and Merek smirked as he jerked away from him.

"Irony is not always humorous. You and I both know things tend to come back round again in some shape or form. I will always be haunted by my mistakes, but that doesn't mean I will ignore them. I confront them head on and try to do better. Human blood will never be wasted by me again. Now please refrain from putting your hands on me, Carlisle," said Merek.

"You think I don't see what is in this room? You are wasting human blood as we speak," shouted Carlisle as he pointed toward the back corner of the room. Everyone turned their attention to the ceiling-to-floor glass cylinder with two arms and a heart floating inside a clear liquid. Josh cringed at the sight.

"Are those human," questioned Josh and Merek nodded.

"Yes, but before you jump to any hasty conclusions, let me explain. Those were taken from a donor in an Anchorage hospital. Thanks in part to the huge advancements in technology over the centuries, I have recreated a circulatory system with tubes that connect to and from the heart to the arms," explained Merek.

"I detect the aroma of human blood, but only faint traces," said Kate with a frown of confusion.

"My specialty is isolating and restructuring cells and DNA. As part of my research I managed to dilute the blood without it losing its function as a viable source of nourishment for the heart and circulation of the arms. You can detect it because of our heightened sense of smell, but it would not taste as appetizing as regular human blood. For the record, Carlisle, the blood is from donors as well and I have not tasted the blood of humans in over a century. It is beneficial to my research if I am not tempted by the samples. You can hate the man I once was, but judging him will not change the man I have become." Carlisle glared at him and Zach stepped between them.

"Since it is obvious you and my grandpa have issues, how about you finally tell us what happened? You promised you would if I showed up," said Zach and Merek glanced at Carlisle before nodding.

"I suppose it is only fair," he agreed as Carlisle crossed his arms.

"I am glad I came after all. I wouldn't want you to leave anything out," said Carlisle.

"Oh I am sure you will stop me if I do, mate….."

"I am not your…."

"As I mentioned before, I grew up during the reign of King Artemis and Queen Gamalon. I was a proud knight and believed wholeheartedly in the honor of knighthood. Aleida was my lady love. I vaguely remember courting her, but her beauty will forever be etched in my mind. She had such a fire, such passion, and I was madly in love with her from the moment we met. She promised to wait for me like a true lady of the time would wait for their knight to return from battle, but I did not come back. After a victory with my fellow knights, I was anxious to get home to see Aleida, so I made the journey back alone. That is when I was attacked by a vampire. I tried to fight back, but he was too swift with his bites. His meal was interrupted by a group of townsmen who were searching for the vampire in the forest and he was forced to toss me aside if he wanted to escape before they caught sight of him again. Such things were not unheard of back then when humans were aware of the existence of vampires.

"He threw me into the river and the current carried me for days. I could not understand why the cold water was not helping ease the burning. When I awoke as a vampire, I was mortified. It took me years to conquer my bloodlust, but I always knew I wanted to come back for my love. I returned to Breckhaven years later for her, but she had fallen ill. I knew I had to turn her, so she could join me in this existence for eternity, but something went wrong. In all my years, it is the only time I have personally seen such a thing, but there are tales of it happening. The heart can fail. The venom can seize the body too swiftly and send it into shock. My poor Aleida, my love, she fell victim to such things and I will never understand why I was cursed to such a fate. She was my mate. I have no doubt in my mind about that and the misery of her death is insurmountable. It pains me to speak of such things to this very day. The only thing that keeps me going in this existence is my quest to conquer that demon and create a way to ensure the transformation will always work. For centuries, I have searched the ends of the earth to find this cure and I am too close now to stop. That doesn't mean I haven't made my mistakes along the way."

"Like experimenting on humans," asserted Carlisle and Merek slowly nodded.

"Yes, while many history books gloss over the evil of the period, many dark sciences and experiments were done at the end of the 19th Century. It was a time in medicine where we were so close to gaining an understanding of how the human body worked, yet far enough to make grave mistakes. People still feared the Black Death's return, even though it was centuries in the past. The start of the 20th Century was not much better. The Great War brought death to millions and exposed human advancements in weaponry, but misgivings about mass destruction. I am telling you this so you can understand the mindset of doctors and scientists of the time. Everyone was desperate in their research and many ignored ethics to find cures. I was no different. I did experiment on humans and the Volturi caught wind of my research. Aro was actually amused and funded my research as long as I did not pose a threat to their rules."

"That is when we met. Aro asked for my opinion on a vampire that was trying to find a more efficient way to transform humans into vampires. I was shocked, but intrigued, and of course Aro had his own ulterior motives to wanting a method of transformation that would guarantee completion without a chance of death during the process and make it faster to change. I showed Merek how to use other methods of research and data analysis instead of experimenting on humans," said Carlisle.

"Carlisle and I set up a secret laboratory in Italy and started to work together, but Aro became bored with the lack of success. I departed soon after to Hungary and Carlisle headed for the New World. I continued my research on my own, but my funds started to run low. That is when I did the unthinkable. I sold my ideas to humans and exploited their fears. The Great War should have taught us that creating advanced weaponry would have unintended consequences in the long run. Millions were slaughtered, but war has always been annihilation, so many governments called upon scientists to give them new ideas. They wanted to be prepared for the next World War and were willing to pay top dollar to whoever could supply them with weapons of mass destruction. I needed the money, so I started to research it."

"Based on an idea that you and I worked on, you betrayed me, Merek. The truth is that whisperings about uranium were swirling around in scientific circles for decades before that, but no one knew how to utilize it. The human mind is limited, even in the most brilliant of geniuses and we both knew that. I wanted to look into the use of uranium to know exactly what humans were dealing with, just like I did for the uses of mercury and radium water. Scientists all over the world were experimenting with dangerous chemicals, minerals, and methods that could unknowingly kill people. I realized what uranium could do and told Merek it could be responsible for millions of deaths."

"I didn't want to believe you!"

"But you recreated my data and sold it to the United States anyways," shouted Carlisle and Garrett's eyes widened as realization dawned on him.

"Whoa, please don't tell me you are saying what I think you are. Oppenheimer was responsible for that," said Garrett, but Merek shook his head.

"He was only one of many and there was a long list of scientists before him that focused on that particular creation. I didn't believe Carlisle's theory and even if it was true, I didn't think humans could actually make use of it. I was desperate. I needed the money so I guided Szilárd and Wigner through the initial proposal. The United States funded them for the research and agreed to give me a large lump sum for the rights. In turn, I gave up any credit I was due for the ideas. I didn't know what it would become. Nations funded research and development projects all the time that went nowhere," defended Merek.

"You gave them the idea and they executed it to the fullest power. You are responsible for it Merek and you made me responsible as well," argued Carlisle.

"Responsible for what," asked Zach.

"Tell him," demanded Carlisle and Merek slowly nodded.

"In 1939, Szilárd and Wigner wrote a letter to the United States urging them to start collecting uranium ore and fund them so they could develop blueprints. The Manhattan Project was officially in production three years later and Oppenheimer created the bombs that would later be used to wipe out over 129,000 innocent people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki," revealed Merek and everyone but Carlisle, Merek, Edward, and Alice were stunned into silence. Zafrina was the first to find her voice.

"Are you telling us, you are responsible for the atomic bomb," asked Zafrina.

"Yes, I am responsible. No one else, but me," stated Merek and Jasper smirked.

"While it is admirable that you would take all the blame, you didn't hold a gun up to the United States' head or those scientists. Many people had to make choices for that series of events to play out," reminded Jasper.

"Jasper is right. Before the bombs were even made, they knew the destruction that may be caused," said Alice. Josh ran a hand through his hair as the shock started to wear off.

"So you helped kill all those people," asked Josh and Merek nodded. Josh nudged Zach.

"Uh, Z, can I talk to you in private," whispered Josh and Zach smiled politely at Merek.

"Excuse us," he said before he followed his friend back up the stairs. They made it through the tunnel and back outside into the harsh cold before Josh started screaming.

"He created the atomic bomb," he shrieked and Zach covered his mouth.

"Dude, calm yourself, an underground bunker isn't going to impede vampire hearing when you are screaming," warned Zach and Josh started to pace.

"We have to call Connell. We have to get out of here. The guy is a mass murderer. He is pretty much Hitler, but without the Napoleon Complex."

"That is a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"Maybe you aren't understanding the words that came out of his mouth. He created the atomic bomb," reminded Josh as he enunciated each word.

"I know what he did and he knows too, but he didn't have to tell us. He could have sugarcoated it or even hidden his past by not wanting my grandpa here, but he didn't. He made a mistake, Josh. Plus, let's not forget the guys that actually created the bombs were not only praised for their contributions to science, but given awards!"

"You want the guy responsible for planting the seeds of crazy into their heads to help you change your mate? You don't see anything wrong with that?"

"I want Allie to not have to go through hell to be with me and I am willing to forgive the past as long as he understands his mistakes," argued Zach and Josh groaned. He was quiet as he mulled over his friend's words and nodded.

"Okay, fine, let's go hear what the dirty bomb maker has to say," said Josh and Zach rolled his eyes.

"He technically didn't make the bomb."

"Tell that to Japan," exclaimed Josh and Zach chuckled at his friend's hysterics. They joined the others back in the laboratory and Rosalie kissed her son's forehead.

"Are you okay? We can leave whenever you want," assured Rosalie and he smiled at his mother.

"I want to stay. Merek, thank you for being honest with us about your past and not trying to sugarcoat it," said Zach.

"I will never be able to change what happened, but after I realized the severity of my mistakes, I vowed to never let it happen again. I knew I would never stop searching for an antidote, but the money I gained for it was not worth the cost. Carlisle, you are exaggerating your role in the process and you have no reason to be upset. You can hate me if you like, but I have learned from that time in my existence and changed for the better because of it." Emmett threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Who cares? Seriously, this has nothing to do with my baby boy and his mate's happiness. Merek, you passed along some information that some people used to blow up thousands of people. Probably not your greatest moment or something people would want written on their tombstone, but it happened. It is over and if the United States is willing to live with being known as the only country to ever resort to nuclear warfare, then I don't see the big deal with you accepting your role in it. Dad, I love you, but this is ridiculous. I am not concerned about Merek's past. I just want to know what he is trying to do with my baby boy's venom," blurted out Emmett and Rosalie smiled lovingly at her mate.

"You always have such a way with words, Em. I agree with my mate. We are here about Allie's transformation, so unless everyone in this room is willing to expose the dark moments from their pasts, I suggest we move on," said Rosalie and Alice winked at her sister.

"Could not agree more," said Alice. Merek held out his hand to Carlisle.

"So, mate, can we move on? I don't know how to apologize any other way than I already have. I should have talked to you before giving the uranium research away. I was desperate and miserable, but I know now that there are better ways to go about such things. Can you find it in that usually compassionate undead heart of yours to forgive me," asked Merek. Esme nudged her mate and Carlisle begrudgingly shook Merek's hand.

"Fine, but I have my eye on you, Merek," conceded Carlisle. Merek beamed with happiness.

"Splendid, now let's get to work," he exclaimed, but Emmett gripped onto his shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze.

"Whoa, whoa, you aren't coming anywhere near my son until you tell us about this new research of yours. The past is the past, but that doesn't mean I am sold on how you plan on using Zach," warned Emmett and Merek winced at the pressure on his shoulder.

"You have quite the grip. I will be more than happy to show you my research. Right this way," said Merek and Emmett released him.

Everyone followed Merek into the center of the lab where an accumulation of computers and machines were arranged. He entered his password into the system and the flat screens and machines flickered to life in the room to reveal the data he already collected.

"The best thing about the sheer amount of technology being produced these days is how it enables so much multitasking and databases to be analyzed. I configured my research to recount any data I have collected since the very beginning of my research. I input every facet of information stored in my mind and this allows me to sift through it as I please. Over the centuries, I have analyzed the rare occurrences when a vampire has tried to change a human and failed. After I gained enough information, I decided to seek your family out. I thought my timing was perfect when I heard that Edward was in love with a human, but not even I was bold enough to engage in the amount of danger of that situation. I knew the Volturi were keeping an eye on your family, Carlisle, and that accompanied with the prospect of a newborn war and battles with werewolves, I decided to bide my time. That is when I moved my laboratory to Alaska," explained Merek and Bella frowned in confusion.

"So you have planned to meet with our family for decades? That takes patience," said Bella.

"Like I told Zachary, when you live for centuries, time passes far quicker than you would think. I should thank you and Edward for helping me with my research. Birthing a hybrid took a massive toll on your body, but Edward's venom still managed to save you, which means venom can cure even more than I once perceived." Alice smiled smugly at Edward.

"Merek did not decide to move closer to us until Edward met Bella, which means I did not cause all of this drama as Edward puts it, he did," teased Alice and Edward rolled his eyes. Seth eyed Alice and Edward curiously.

"So you two have known about Merek for a while then," questioned Seth, but Alice shook her head.

"His decisions never directly affected us, so I had no reason to see his path. There were much more imperative situations to think about back then, but once he decided to meet our family, his path became intertwined with ours," explained Alice.

"So Merek, why now? What is so special about me," asked Zach and Merek pointed to a screen with various strands of DNA and molecular compounds.

"When I started researching transformations, I noticed that three days is the average, but not always the case. What stands out to me says more about the vampire's venom instead of the human. I originally thought it would depend on the human and the amount of work the venom would need to do to transform them. However, it actually depends on how quickly the venom can spread through the body and saturate all the cells within the host. After studying my own venom and the venom of a few others willing to contribute to my work, I realized that there may be differences in the potency of vampire venom. If my theory is correct, I believe the venom of a super vampire, like Zachary, would hold far more potency. This is important because if I can dilute the venom with the mixture I have already created, it will surge through the body quicker, which should speed up the process. The problem is by diluting the venom I weaken the potency, so the key is to find venom concentrated enough to withstand dilution in order to speed up the transformation."

"Venom is thicker than blood, so it takes longer to pump through the body. By diluting it, you think you can make it reach more cells in a shorter amount of time," stated Carlisle.

"Precisely, all I am asking is to create a small incision to gain Zachary's venom and some DNA to study."

"Why can't you just test the venom from his mouth," asked Rosalie.

"I tested this theory on myself and found a higher concentration came from the sample taken from my arm than my mouth," answered Merek.

"And how exactly do you plan on getting this sample? It isn't like needles work on us," asked Emmett. Carlisle's eyes widened as realization dawned on him.

"That's why you wanted the teeth from Orwick," stated Carlisle as he started to gain more understanding of Merek's process.

"Yes, I gathered teeth from vampires that already had no use for them to create tools for making an incision. I tested it out first and the pain from the cut barely registers. The sample would only be used in my lab and I promise to destroy all evidence of it once my research is completed."

"Why is that important," asked Zach and Merek looked him directly in his eyes to convey his seriousness.

"Zachary, while your family sees you as just another member, most in the vampire world see you as a weapon, the most powerful weapon they have ever encountered. You can never let someone study your DNA or your venom without being sure of what they are going to do with it. Not only could it be used to create something else, but it may expose weaknesses in you that could be used to defeat your power. These are only my theories, but after my past experiences, I have made it a point to obsess over the consequences of such experiments, no matter how unintended they may be. If you allow me to study your DNA, I will be studying your makeup and no one truly knows what could be found. All I want to find is an antidote based on the serum I have already created. Once that is done, I will have no use for your samples and I promise to destroy any evidence they existed."

"Why are you telling me this? Aren't you afraid that knowing all of that could make me not want to help you," asked Zach and Merek chuckled.

"The thought has crossed my mind, but I meant what I said. I have one purpose and that is to find the answers I have wanted all along. Is there a way to transform someone without the risk of failure and at a faster rate? Once I know that, I can be at peace. My entire existence has been devoted to this cause and I don't want it to be for nothing. So what do you say?"

"You are doing this for your love and I am doing this for mine. Promise me that if you find the antidote, you will give it to me for my mate. If you don't find your antidote, you will destroy all the evidence you have," bargained Zach and Merek shook his head.

"You have my word as a gentleman and a knight," vowed Merek. Zach turned to his parents for their permission and they both nodded. He took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeve, and held his left arm out to Merek.

"Then let's see if your theory is right," said Zach. Merek opened the titanium box he retrieved from Orwick and grabbed one of the shards, along with a medicine dropper. Zach sat down at a table and rested his arm on the slab of steel. Merek sat down beside him, but Carlisle grabbed his shoulder.

"I will do it," said Carlisle.

"Still don't trust me," challenged Merek as he stood back up and Carlisle shook his head.

"No, but I trust my family. I will do it," replied Carlisle. Merek handed him the tools and Carlisle sat down beside his grandson. Zach gave him his arm and Carlisle sliced a thin, small incision along the crease of the arm, which made Zach wince. Venom freely poured from the incision and Carlisle suctioned it up with the medicine dropper. He handed it to Merek and Merek handed him a piece of gauze. Carlisle rubbed the rest of the venom into the cut and it immediately sealed back up.

"Almost as good as new," assured Carlisle as a small line was left in the incision's place as a tiny scar. Merek swiftly moved around the laboratory to dispense the venom into the machines he set up. Within seconds, the data was collected and sample analyzed. The findings were inputted into Merek's database and his eyes widened at the results.

"Carlisle, you need to see this," called Merek and Carlisle was immediately by his side. Merek pointed at the screen and Carlisle's eyes widened as well. They both spun around to gawk at Zach and he laughed nervously at their response.

"Uh, grandpa, why are you looking at me like that," asked Zach as his parents scanned over the screens.

"What are we looking at," asked Emmett and Merek rapidly typed as he inputted more data for comparison.

"The one on the left side is my venom breakdown and the one on the right is Zachary's," said Merek. Rosalie frowned in confusion.

"What type of atom is that throughout his double helix," questioned Rosalie and Merek shook his head in astonishment.

"I have no clue, but it is not present in mine or any other DNA I have studied. He has the same number of chromosomes as we do, but his makeup differs a bit. I am going to test the potency now," explained Merek as he switched computers. Carlisle racked his brain for every memory he had of Zach since his grandson was born, while Merek continued to work.

"Carlisle, his venom is twice as concentrated as the most potent venom I have come across. Do you know what this means? I was right! My theory has to be right," he exclaimed, but Carlisle was lost in thought. Edward nodded and grinned crookedly at his father's thoughts.

"You have reached the same conclusion as Alice and I did, dad," confirmed Edward and Keegan threw his arms up in exasperation.

"Am I the only one confused right now," asked Keegan and Zafrina giggled at her mate's outburst. Merek rushed over to him.

"You, the firestarter, let's check yours next," exclaimed Merek giddily.

"Check my what," asked Keegan and Merek grabbed his arm.

"Your venom of course," said Merek and Keegan's eyes widened as he pulled his arm away.

"Whoa, no one said anything about testing me. I am here for moral support and ammo in case you really are a psycho," informed Keegan and Merek laughed even more.

"You are a firestarter!"

"Yea, we have known that for a while," said Garrett, but Merek shook his head.

"My theory is that venom is not created equally, the more powerful the vampire, the more potent the venom. No one has ever thought to look at venom in such a way because most vampires don't change humans. The blood is too tempting. Keegan, please, just a small sample, like Zach has given," begged Merek and Keegan looked over at his mate. Zafrina shrugged.

"It didn't seem to harm Zach and the same rules would need to apply. Keegan's venom is used only for this," said Zafrina and Merek happily nodded.

"You have my word," promised Merek. Keegan reluctantly held out his arm and Merek grabbed another tooth, some gauze, and a medicine dropper. Zafrina's eyes were trained on Merek as the man cut into her mate's arm. Keegan barely flinched as Merek collected the sample.

"See, all done," said Merek. He rubbed the remaining venom into Keegan's arm to seal it before darting over to the computers to input the data. Within seconds, Keegan's DNA appeared on the screens.

"Far more potency than mine, but nowhere near Zach's and he has the same genetic makeup as me and the others. Zach is the outlier, but why would his genetic coding be different from ours? What is this atom and what could it possibly do? I never imagined beyond my wildest scenarios that this would be here," said Merek and Carlisle smiled proudly at his grandson.

"I have a theory about that based on Zach's behavior. What if it is what makes him desensitized to bloodlust? It was never about the animal blood," revealed Carlisle as he thought about his grandson.

"Carlisle," questioned Rosalie and he hugged his daughter.

"Think about it, Rose. Zach is only sixteen. He shouldn't be able to interact so freely with humans or show so much restraint. You of all people know how difficult it is to stay composed. You carried Emmett so far while being covered in blood, but it was maddening to you. Zach has your restraint, but an exponential amount. Blood does not bother him and I thought he was desensitized because we only gave him animal blood since he was born, but his DNA tells us more," explained Carlisle and Merek chuckled.

"That is all well and fine, mate, but for my purposes, I am excited about the concentration. Alright, just let me place this in the microcentrifuge apparatus and blend in my serum to dilute the venom," mumbled Merek as he grabbed a small corked tube from a refrigerator.

"What is your serum composed of," asked Carlisle.

"I used a modified version of a phosphate-buffered saline for starters. Then, I isolated red blood cells from human blood and mixed them in to create a serum. The venom will do most of the work, but this part of the serum will help carry it faster through the body."

"Aren't you afraid the venom will interact with the red blood cells and alter them like it would when it comes into contact with other cells in the body," asked Carlisle.

"That is precisely what I am counting on. The serum will help carry the venom through the body and help it latch on even quicker through those cells that are already changed," explained Merek. He placed the serum into the machine and added the rest of Zach's sample of venom. Everyone watched in silence as the scientist hurried around the laboratory, pressing buttons and turning on machines. The glass cylinder with the heart, tubes, and arms glowed of blue light as the machines surrounding it hummed to life.

"What are you doing, now," asked Carlisle and Merek motioned for him to come over to his computer.

"I told you I was close. All I needed was for Zach to give me the venom to test and now we will find out."

"Don't you want to run more tests," asked Carlisle, but Merek shook his head.

"I already ran tests prior to today using regular venom. I have obsessed over every detail of my theory and it all relies on this moment succeeding." A button lit up with a green light and Merek smiled at Carlisle.

"Your family has made this possible, so will you do the honors, mate," asked Merek and Carlisle gave him a curious glance before pushing the button. The machines buzzed and a tube connected to the cylinder filled with the serum. It led to another tube inside the cylinder that was injected into the human heart. Within seconds, the heart began to pump vigorously and move fluid into the arms. Everyone's eyes were wide with amazement as the arms began to turn pale and solidify. The heart transitioned from a fleshy red to a bluish white over several minutes. The pumping slowed to a stop and Merek hollered in excitement. In the cylinder floated two arms and the heart of a vampire.

"I have officially stepped out of the supernatural and into a sci-fi flick," said Josh in utter disbelief and Zach gulped.

"Merek, did my venom do that," asked Zach and Merek happily nodded.

"Yes and I knew it would, but not at that rate. This is not my first test of this nature, but usually the transformation takes longer than the usual process because the dilution weakens it. Yours is so concentrated, the effect is not weakened. The dilution helps to thin out your venom to the consistency of blood and speeds the process up. Once configured for ratio, speed, and modified for time, your venom has cut down the time in ways I never thought possible!"

"But you haven't tested it on an actual human being," said Zach.

"My science is accurate, Zachary. I went over every detail of this experiment to ensure that. Those arms and that heart were alive for all intents and purposes. Now they are the arms and heart of a vampire. Of course they will not be able to function in a normal sense of the word because there is no body or head, but the point is that it worked! See, look," said Merek as he typed on his computer. Suddenly the fingers in the cylinder began to twitch.

"The nerves work, this will work, and with a bit more of your venom, I can mix the serum for your mate," explained Merek and Seth's jaw dropped.

"So that's it, this will work? All you have to do is get some of his venom and Allie can be changed," questioned Seth skeptically.

"Well of course we will have to set up a time and place and I will have to gather more vials of morphine…"

"Hold on, morphine will not work. It did nothing, but paralyze me during the transformation," said Bella and Merek frowned in confusion.

"The morphine acted as a numbing agent," asked Merek. Carlisle sighed, but nodded.

"I made the same assumption as you, but the drugs did not counteract the pain. Your experiment works to quicken the process, but does not prove it can be painless," said Carlisle. "Yes, I suppose that is true. I did not take into account that you have already tried that plan before. Carlisle, I would love to see your research to compare notes. I was sure it would work."

"It deadens the nerves, but not the mind," informed Bella and Merek nodded in understanding.

"I suppose that makes sense. I am sorry old boy, but at least the pain will not last nearly as long," surmised Merek and Zach gritted his teeth.

"So she will still have to feel pain? You told me the process would be painless as part of the serum," shouted Zach and Merek put his hands up in defense.

"That was based on my original theory, but with this new information, I have to adjust my premise. I have still kept my word for the most part. This proves that your mate can be changed in a fraction of the time. The pain is a minor side effect in regards to a serum that can change her in…..hold on, let me calculate that….yes, four hours," declared Merek. Zach began to pout.

"Four hours, you are sure about that? You have already lied about the amount of pain involved, so why should I trust you now," questioned Zach. Carlisle smiled sympathetically at his grandson.

"Because you don't have to trust his word, you can trust the science you just saw before your very eyes," informed Carlisle.

"Right, the science, the science of it all is in that cylinder case, Zachary. You just watched human parts become the parts of a vampire. Your mate may feel pain, but nowhere near the extent that the rest of us endured. It will work. You have my word on the honor of my love, Aleida. This project was named in her honor, after all. This will work," vowed Merek with a bow of his head. Zach glanced over at Edward and Alice and they both nodded.

"Okay," agreed Zach. Merek jumped for joy and pulled Zach in for a tight hug, which made Rosalie frown.

"Are you sure he isn't off his rocker," whispered Rosalie to Edward as Merek happily danced around the room.

"Rose, he just found the antidote after centuries of searching. Let him have his moment," suggested Edward and Rosalie nodded with a small smile as Merek hugged Zach again. His response may have seemed odd to the group and the experience was a bit anticlimactic for some, especially Garrett who wanted to see more of a fight between Carlisle and Merek, but for Merek, it was the happiest moment of his vampire existence. To the family, it only took mere weeks after meeting Merek for a resolution to be found, but it was after centuries of failed attempts and mistakes for Merek. A small smile crept onto Zach's lips as he thought about the result of the experiment and its implication. If the serum worked for his mate as well as it did during the test, she would be a vampire soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After a long hunt and catching up the rest of the family on what happened during their visit with Merek, the family returned to Forks Sunday morning. Zach was sitting on top of the roof to watch the sunrise over the forest. He could hear someone scaling up the side of the house, but was surprised to see it was his Aunt Bella. She sat down beside him on the roof and gave him a warm smile.

"Thinking about Allie," she asked and Zach grinned as he thought about his mate.

"Yea, she will be home today. I really miss her."

"Are you going to tell her about the serum?"

"Eventually, I just don't know how."

"I think I underestimated how much your Uncle Edward has rubbed off on you. Your mate is more than willing to become a vampire, but you are still hesitant. I originally thought it was because of the transformation and I am sure a part of it is, but we have found a way around that pesky problem. Why are you still hesitant?"

"I just want to make sure this life is perfect for her. She has made it clear that she wants to be with me forever, but my life is probably going to be complicated at times. You heard Merek. People see me as a weapon, so what if they come after me and Allie gets hurt because of it?"

"Isn't that more of a reason to turn her as quickly as possible?"

"What do you mean?"

"You and Josh are always talking about comic books and superheroes, right? Well, think of it this way. You are Superman and she is your Lois Lane right now. The Lex Luthors of the world will target her to get to you and since she is human, she is vulnerable. Now, once she is a newborn, I bet those people wouldn't even think about getting between her and her mate." Zach chuckled.

"I didn't think of it like that. So I am Clark Kent, huh?"

"The one and only, but without the glasses of course. I must say though that your future looks much brighter."

"My future," asked Zach and Bella gave him a knowing smile.

"Another thing you will learn about mates is we tell each other everything because we know secrets will be safe with them," whispered Bella.

"Right, so you know about….."

"Everything and it doesn't take a mind reader to know that is a lot of weight to carry around with you. Did you ever think that is why you were blessed with Allie and Josh? You have a mate who would do anything for you and a best friend that wants to be by your side forever. I think you have a pretty good thing if you include the family willing to support you in whatever you decide to do." Zach beamed at her.

"Yea, I guess you are right. I am going to tell her about the serum. I just don't want to spring it on her because, knowing Allie, she will demand to be turned right away."

"You two will figure it out. Just be honest with her and everything will work out," advised Bella and Zach hugged her in thanks.

As noon rolled around, Allie was practically bouncing in her seat as her mother turned down the secret path heading to the Cullen House. The ache in her heart from missing her mate was driving her up the wall and she could not wait to see him again.

"You look pretty anxious, so should I come to a complete stop when we arrive or just open the door and let you jump out," teased Emily and Allie blushed.

"Sorry, mom, I am just excited to see him. A weekend is a long time for us."

"Did you at least enjoy yourself?"

"Yes, the facial, the massage, the pedicure and manicure, it was a blast. I am really glad we got to hang out."

"Me too, it has been too long since we had a girl's weekend away," said Emily as she parked in front of the Cullen House.

"Definitely too long," agreed Allie. Emily giggled when Zach blurred onto the porch with a huge grin and waved.

"Looks like your boyfriend missed you too. I will see you later," said Emily as they hugged. Allie kissed her cheek.

"I love you, mom. Thanks for taking me to the spa," said Allie as she got out of the car. Zach opened the trunk and grabbed her bag. He chuckled when she jumped into his arms and he happily carried her inside the house.

"I missed you too, nayeli," he laughed and she showered him with kisses as he took her up to his bedroom. He placed her bag in his closet before kissing her tenderly.

"I can't believe how long the days felt without you. I had fun with my mom, but I couldn't help but think about what you were doing, were you having fun, were you missing me too?"

"I know the feeling," he said as they sat down on the couch across from his bed. She snuggled into his side and rested her head on his chest.

"What did you do? How was the hunt," she asked.

"It was good. We caught some bears and caribou. I should be good to go for a while."

"I can see that," she giggled as she gazed into his golden brown eyes.

"So what do you want to do today? Josh is cliff diving with the pack and my family just left for the island. They will be back tomorrow, but wanted to grab some things there first. It is just you and me."

"I love the sound of that. Can we just stay here and relax? I missed being in your arms." He turned on the music playlist they made together and nuzzled her neck.

"Sounds perfect," he whispered before kissing her again. She sighed contently, relieved to be back with her mate after a long weekend away from each other.

Carlisle turned on the lights in the library and Merek nodded appreciatively at the spacious room with two stories worth of book shelves filled with an array of texts. Carlisle signed into the computer and took a seat as Merek looked around at the various books covering the walls.

"You have quite the impressive collection. You are right. This room is perfect for doing research."

"It may not be as equipped as your laboratory, but there is plenty of space to move in equipment for the transformation. Allie will be turned after Zach's graduation from high school."

"I am amused at your family's insistence on mingling with humans. I may drink from animals, but I cannot pretend humans are not delicious meals," said Merek as he perused through an old medical book.

"Yes well, without our interactions with humans, many of us would not have found our mates."

"Fair enough, your choices are your right to make. The boy has so much power. I just assumed he would prefer to be around the Volturi more than humans. He will take over for them one day after all." Carlisle's eyes widened.

"What are you talking about?"

"Come now, Carlisle, do not be naïve. I have been around long enough to recognize power when I see it. He is sixteen and has more power than any one we have ever encountered. He has more maturity as well and is a natural leader. He was born to be great. I am just happy I lived long enough to see Aro usurped. It is good to know Marcus and Didyme will be followed by a Cullen. I wonder how Aro would have reacted if he knew Stregone Benefico would someday be part of the ruling family. It is inevitable, mate."

"Worse things have happened."

"And worse rulers, the Romanians, Aro, I was starting to believe only those that can be corrupted would rule this world. Well, here you go, all my research is on this little device. It makes it seem so frivolous when it can be carried in my pocket," said Merek as he handed Carlisle his external hard drive.

"We both know that isn't true. It took Connell two trips to teleport the bigger machines. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"It is only fitting for the serum to be here on the island whenever Zach and his mate decide to use it."

"I was talking about your research."

"Carlisle, there is no one in the world I would trust with it more than you, so you should have a copy. Besides, I will feel better knowing that you have gone over my notes and agree with the findings. Thank you for inviting me here today and I will take you up on your offer to help with the transformation when it is time."

"Good, so we are set then?"

"Yes, you have the only samples of Zach's DNA and venom that are available. The vials of the serum are locked away in your vault for safe keeping and you have my notes to study before I see you again." Carlisle sat back in his chair and eyed Merek cautiously.

"Why are you being so forthcoming? You found the serum. It is your life's work and yet you are handing it over to me. Why?"

"Stalin," replied Merek and Carlisle frowned.

"As in Joseph Stalin, the dictator," questioned Carlisle.

"Oh, we both know he was more than a dictator. Stalin would dissect people to see how they worked. He would try to swap out the organs of humans and replace them with those of animals to make a superhuman. He was obsessed. I used to make excuses for the things I did in the past. I would say it was all in the name of science, just like Stalin did. Carlisle, this is my obsession. When I lost Aleida, this became my only reason for existing. Most vampires could not exist without their mate, but I have clung to my research. Your family is right. I cannot take full responsibility for the bombing of the cities in Japan, but I made a vow to never come close to that man again. I don't want to be Oppenheimer and I don't want to be Stalin either. You can keep me at bay. You and your family remind me of the good in this world even when I forget while locked in that laboratory in the middle of nowhere. Check my research, Carlisle. Let me help your family gain its next member and find my peace along the way."

"If that's how you truly feel, then I have a proposal for us to work on together. It is something I have looked into with Eleazar and I first started thinking about it after Bella notified me that the morphine did not work."

"I am listening."

"Well, I was thinking about the past transformations I have performed. There was never time to set up. Bella was the closest the family came, but Renesmee's birth complicated matters. That will not be the case with Allie and I want your opinion on a new method for the transformation."

"Experimenting with methods may prove too risky. Bella's description of her pain during her change sounded worse than ours because of the paralysis."

"Which is why I will never make that mistake again, but maybe it is time I utilize the abilities of my family and your intelligence. I would like you to look into the possibility of treating the transforming like a surgery of sorts."

"Are you suggesting we put the girl under anesthesia? Carlisle, that is too dangerous," said Merek, but Carlisle shook his head.

"I have researched this fully, far more critically than I researched the morphine. The main issue was the time. Three days would have been too long to keep her under, but you have resolved that issue and four hours is short enough. There are surgeries that take longer than that. Bella said the morphine paralyzed her nerves, but kept her awake. The anesthesia will result in Allie being unconscious and Edward can read her mind. He can alert us to her state of mind before we inject the venom."

"Even if that is the case, how would we pull her out of it? We have no way of knowing the way my serum and Zach's venom will affect the process or if her body will respond well," said Merek and Carlisle beamed with pride as Alice skipped into the room.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," said Alice.

"I told you that I am looking to utilize my family's abilities. We have the time, we can do the research, and Alice can help us," said Carlisle as Alice hugged him.

"It is nice to be in agreement again," giggled Alice. Jasper, Esme, Edward, and Bella entered the library and Edward smiled at Merek's thoughts.

"I am surprised by your concern for Allie's safety, Merek," said Edward.

"Do Zachary and his parents know about this," asked Merek and Edward nodded.

"Rosalie and Emmett are spending some time alone in their cottage, but I told them we were going to look into some methods on the subject. They are all for it and so is Zach, if it means helping Allie," informed Edward.

"The whole point of this is to transform her successfully. I am barely able to function in this miserable existence as it is without my mate. The thought of losing someone else's, of being responsible for that pain again, terrifies me," confessed Merek. He was surprised when Alice pulled him into her arms for a comforting hug.

"That is never going to happen again. This will work and I have seen it. You and Carlisle can do this," encouraged Alice and Merek thought about the process even more.

"How would we pull her out of it," questioned Merek.

"Once the transformation is under way, we will be able to monitor how quickly the venom is spreading through her system. The setup for the general anesthesia will not last after her skin starts to harden. We will remove all the needles and tubes before it gets to that point and the venom will bring her out of that level of unconsciousness. You and I can calculate the time it will take for the process to happen. My estimation is that she will feel the pain for about five minutes, but it may be longer or shorter based on the venom's effect. I believe she will feel pain toward the end, but it will be nowhere near the longevity of ours. What do you say? Will you help me research this, mate," asked Carlisle and Merek smiled.

"I thought we weren't friends," asked Merek and Carlisle shook his hand.

"I changed my mind."

"Then let's make sure Zachary's mate is as comfortable as possible during the transformation," agreed Merek. In that moment, understanding passed between the two vampires. The past was the past and it could not be undone, but did not need to be dwelled upon either. Carlisle clapped him on the back.

"Come on, we will finish the tour. You haven't even seen the indoor pool yet," informed Carlisle.

"You have a pool as well? Why wasn't I offered any of that by the Volturi? Aro was not only corrupt. He was cheap," laughed Merek as they exited the library to continue the tour of the island.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next couple of weeks blurred by as Zach focused on normal teenage issues, instead of supernatural ones. With prom coming up, the students of Forks High School were buzzing with excitement. Prom would also be the beginning of the end for the senior class and Zach was amused at the amount of giddiness and anticipation his classmates exuded. What surprised him was how excited he was as the night of prom arrived. He and Josh were at the Cullen House getting ready for the big night and Zach chuckled at his friend.

"I knew you would take forever to get ready today, but this is ridiculous. How many times are you going to check the mirror," asked Zach as Josh ran his hands through his hair and continued to scrutinize over his appearance in the mirror.

"This is prom, Z. Tons of pictures are going to be taken, pictures that could very well haunt us for eternity. I need to look good. I still can't believe you let Allie kick us out of your room. You are so whipped."

"She needed the space and getting ready down the hall isn't hurting anyone. Stop being such a baby. I hear her parents pulling up, so you better finish primping. It is almost time to go," informed Zach before leaving the bedroom. He headed downstairs and smiled at the video camera his father was using. Emmett hooted and hollered for him.

"My baby boy is going to rock the prom," boasted Emmett. The flashes of light were never-ending as Alice captured picture after picture. Esme handed Zach the corsage he bought for Allie and straightened his tie for him.

"You look so dapper, grandson," cooed Esme and his mother's eyes glistened with pride. Zach was dressed to the nines in a designer black suit, deep purple vest, and matching purple tie.

"Alright, Zach and Rose give me a smile," instructed Alice before snapping several pictures of them together. Emmett joined them next, followed by Seth. Esme and Carlisle took their turn before Alice handed Jasper the camera and he snapped several pictures of Zach with his aunt. The rest of the family walked into the entryway and Alice clapped happily.

"Bella, get in here and stop being stubborn," called Alice and Bella giggled as she hugged her nephew. Sam and Emily entered the house and laughed as they watched Alice hand Jacob a camera.

"On photographer duty now, huh Jake. This place looks like a photoshoot," teased Sam and Jacob smirked as he took one more picture of the entire family with Zach.

"Don't worry. You will be in plenty of these in a minute," said Jacob. Josh whistled happily as he strolled down the stairs. Tears swelled in Leah's eyes when she saw her son in his all black tuxedo and forest green tie.

"You look so grown up," she said in awe as a tear streamed down her cheek and Jacob kissed her forehead.

"Aw, mom, don't cry," whined Josh as he hugged his parents. Alice took several pictures of them and ordered Seth and Kaya to get into the next one. Zach waited by the stairs for Allie and Rosalie kissed his cheek.

"You look so handsome, baby boy. I love you," said Rosalie.

"I love you too, mom." He hugged his mother and chuckled when Alice pulled Rosalie over to Josh for a picture. Zach perked up when he heard the clicking of heels drawing closer. He turned back toward the stairs and gulped when he saw Allie coming down. He was stunned into silence as he basked in the beauty of the woman he loved. Alice tailored the dress to fit Allie's body to a tee. It hugged each curve and accentuated her breasts in a way that made Zach immediately take notice. Alice gave him a knowing smile and wink.

"You're welcome," whispered Alice to Zach before turning her attention back to taking photographs. Zach held his hand out to Allie and she sighed happily as she slipped her hand into his. He kissed the top of it and gave her a small twirl.

"What do you think," she asked and he gulped again.

"I think I am the luckiest guy in the world," he admitted, which made her blush. She looked him up and down and dreamily sighed.

"Wow," she whispered in awe and his dimples deepened as he grinned even more.

"I am glad you like it. You know I love red, but Aunt Alice thought we would look cuter if we matched. Her words, not mine," he explained as Alice nodded behind them. Emily hugged her daughter and complimented her dress while Sam stood back to gaze at Allie in astonishment.

"You okay," asked Jacob when he saw the unshed tears in Sam's eyes. Sam nodded as his eyes locked with his daughter.

"Why does this time feel so different? This isn't her first prom," asked Sam and Jacob shrugged.

"Maybe because you know it is her last as a human, so go make the most of the moment, alpha," suggested Jacob. Sam walked over to Allie and held his daughter close to him as he took in a deep breath.

"You look beautiful," complimented Sam and she blushed again.

"Thank you, daddy. Come on, let's smile for the camera," she urged as Alice snapped pictures. After several more minutes, Josh managed to escape from Alice's incessant picture taking.

"I have to go pick up Megan."

"You better make sure I get copies of those pictures," warned Alice.

"I will, but I have to go. Thanks again for letting me borrow the car, Edward," said Josh as he gave Edward a hug.

"I knew you wanted something more ostentatious than a limo," said Edward with a wink as he tossed the keys to Josh.

"What is more ostentatious than a limo," asked Emily and Josh smiled smugly.

"An Aston Martin Vanquish of course," bragged Josh.

"Isn't that a bit much for a prom," asked Sam, but Josh huffed.

"It is prom. Nothing is too much for the greatest night of my high school life," assured Josh.

"If anyone asks, we rented it for him," chuckled Jacob and Josh hugged his parents.

"Alright I have to go pick up my hot date! Bye," called Josh as he ran out of the house. Zach offered his arm to Allie.

"Shall we," he asked and she kissed his cheek as she slipped her arm around his.

"We shall," she giggled. Rosalie sighed as she watched her son open the door to his BMW for Allie. He waved goodbye to his family before getting in and speeding down the driveway. Emmett wrapped his wife in his arms.

"Our son is going to prom," said Emmett proudly.

"He has grown up way too fast," she responded and Emmett nodded in agreement as he thought about how quickly the years had passed.

The Forks Convention Hall was hosting the prom and Zach opened Allie's door for her. The music pouring from the hall mingled in with the laughter and chatter of the arriving teenagers. Zach wrapped an arm around her as they walked through the parking lot. The cool breeze tickled against Allie's skin and caused her to shiver.

"Do you want to wait inside for Josh and Megan," asked Zach, but she shook her head.

"No, it is a beautiful night, way better than my prom night. It was freezing outside and pouring down rain. I am fine." He took off his suit jacket and placed it around her shoulders.

"Josh should be here soon," he assured.

"I am not in a rush. You know he still owes us a double date, right?"

"I don't think their relationship is going to last much longer, so that is probably not going to happen. It must be hard since he has to keep so much from her. Oh, there they are," said Zach as he pointed to the entrance of the parking lot. Students and chaperones alike stared in awe at the Aston Martin as Josh parked it with a huge grin. He held Megan's hand and led her over to where Zach and Allie were waiting by the entrance of the venue.

"Megan, I would like you to meet Zach's girl, Allie. Al, this is Megan," introduced Josh. Allie shook Megan's hand.

"Nice to meet you, I have heard a lot about you," said Allie.

"I have heard a lot about you too. Hey Zach, you look great," said Megan as her eyes roamed over his body. Zach waved at her, but Allie's eyes narrowed when she noticed the way the girl was lustfully staring at her boyfriend. Megan's eyes widened when she realized Allie caught her and she blushed.

"Um, I am going to go say hi to some friends real quick. I will meet you inside Josh," said Megan before hurrying away and Josh chuckled.

"Man, Al, if looks could kill," teased Josh.

"She is lucky that is all I did. I mean we are standing right here. She is definitely not right for you."

"I blame it on Z. He is made to lure the ladies in," said Josh, but Allie shook her head.

"Your mate is going to only have eyes for you, no matter what. I will make sure of that because it is what you deserve."

"Aw, you do love me," cooed Josh as he wrapped an arm around Allie and she wrapped her arms around the two of them.

"Of course I do and I will totally kick her butt for checking out other guys while she is here with you if you want me to," offered Allie and Josh guffawed.

"Oh yea because that wouldn't draw too much attention to us, Megan is cool. At least cool enough for a prom date. Now my mate on the other hand better be all about me."

"Aw, that way you two will already have something in common," teased Allie and Zach laughed. Josh playfully glared at her as the three of them walked in together.

An hour later, the music was pumping, the rumors over Prom King and Queen were swirling, and whisperings of spiked punch were already buzzing. Zach sighed in relief as the photographer took his and Allie's photograph and they headed back toward the dance floor.

"Are we done with the pictures for the night," he whined.

"Yes, but you may have to take one more. I heard some girls talking in the bathroom about Prom King. They voted for you."

"Me, why me, I don't play sports, we have been to two sporting events, so they know I have no school spirit. I am not in any clubs….."

"But you are ridiculously gorgeous and every girl in this place wishes they were on your arm. Face it, Cullen, you are a catch," she said with a wink and his dimples deepened as he grinned at her.

"Well I am all yours, so they should vote for someone they have a chance with," he assured before kissing her lips. They stepped back onto the dance floor and held each other close as they swayed to the music. Allie giggled when she saw Josh and Megan kissing as they danced a few yards away.

"I guess Josh thinks she might not be Miss Right, but she is definitely Miss Right Now," teased Allie. Suddenly the music cut off and the students gathered on the dance floor as the principal walked on stage. They clapped for her and she held up an envelope.

"Now it is time for the moment everyone has been waiting for, the announcement of Prom King and Queen," said the principal as the students cheered.

"Your votes have been tallied and it was a close race this year. The Prom King and Queen of Forks High are…." Zach held his breath as she opened the envelope.

"Jeremy Greer and Courtney Wilson," announced the principle, causing Zach to sigh in relief. Allie giggled at his reaction.

"You are the only guy I know who wouldn't want to be king," said Allie and he winked at her.

"King of a high school is a bit overrated. Besides, you should be happy. Courtney was definitely going to win. She is the most popular girl in school, so I would be dancing with her if I won." Allie's smile faded.

"Courtney, you mean ugly scarf giving Courtney?"

"I don't think that is the name written on her birth certificate, but yes," chuckled Zach. Allie slipped her hand into his and kissed him.

"Want to get some fresh air," she asked and he happily nodded as he followed her out the double doors. She took him to the pavilion outside and he noticed no one else was out there.

"Are we supposed to be out here," he questioned.

"It is a beautiful night and I want some time alone with my boyfriend. Dance with me, Cullen," she whispered and he pulled her closer as the music from inside poured out into the pavilion.

"You know, only the king and queen are supposed to be dancing right now," he teased.

"Well then I guess we are rebels. I just wanted a couple of minutes alone with you where girls can't drool all over you."

"They don't drool."

"You don't know your effect on women," she giggled and rested her cheek against his shoulder as they swayed to the music. He looked around one more time to make sure no one was outside but them and took in a deep breath.

"Allie?"

"Yes," she asked as she gazed into his eyes with a smile. His nerves got the best of him and he looked down.

"Nothing," he mumbled.

"Okay, tell me your secret whenever you are ready," she assured and his eyes widened.

"Uh, what secret?"

"Come on, Zach, I know you. Do you really think I haven't noticed how out of it you have been the last couple of weeks? Ever since you came back from Alaska, you have been hiding something. I am okay with that though because I know you will tell me when you are ready."

"I just don't know how."

"Well, you could start with sweet talk, so something like nayeli, I love you so much. Then you go from there. Now you try." He chuckled.

"Nayeli, I love you so much and I can't wait to spend forever with you, which is why I have been talking with a scientist who has a serum that can turn you. It wouldn't take three days. It would only take four hours, but the pain would…."

"Why didn't you tell me that sooner," she asked in shock.

"I didn't know for sure at first. When we went to Italy…."

"So, you went to Italy and found that out, but didn't tell me for almost two months?"

"I wasn't sure until two weeks ago and I was worried because you still have to suffer. Plus with prom coming up, I didn't want you to worry about that, but now I have screwed it up by telling you. I just couldn't hold it in any longer. You look so beautiful tonight and I am so in love with you, Allie. You are all I think about and all I ever need. I still think we should wait until after graduation because the newborn year will be difficult, but I wanted you to know what has been going on. I am sorry for not telling you sooner," he explained and the silence grew around them as she processed the information. He held his breath as he waited for her reaction. He wasn't sure if she would yell at him or want to leave to talk more about it. She caught him off guard when she kissed him tenderly and beamed with a serene smile.

"So just four hours, huh," she asked and he frowned in confusion as he nodded.

"Yea, why are you taking this so well?"

"Zach, it doesn't change our plan and I am relieved if finding this out makes you feel better about turning me. I would burn for three days to be with you, so four hours will be nothing compared to eternity with you."

"So, you aren't mad at me?"

"I wish you would have told me sooner. I could tell there was something, but if you needed time, then you needed time. You will turn me after your graduation, right?" He nodded with a bright grin.

"Yes, nayeli, I will."

"Then I am happy," she assured before running her hands through his hair and pulling him in for a passionate kiss. Zach hugged her and sighed in relief.

"I love you, Allie."

"I love you too, so how about you finish our dance," she said with a wink and he nuzzled her neck as he pulled her close to him. They swayed under the moonlight and stars with serene smiles on their faces. Graduation would be soon and the start of their forever together would follow.

AN: The end…for now! I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it. Feel free to leave reviews, messages, and the usual feedback. Thanks for following along!

~Emmettroselover


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